Chapter Summaries

Si Peng asked Meng Zhao to lead Dan Chi warriors in helping Su Hongtu hunt ferocious beasts, then explained the Divine Might Army’s origins and tested Meng Zhao’s reasons for joining. Meng Zhao argued that Great Yong’s crises and divided loyalties could let their small force spark a rebellion.

• Si Peng asked Lu Yang to send Dan Chi warriors to help Su Tianwang hunt ferocious beasts and obtain the essence of their flesh and blood.
• Meng Zhao questioned why the Divine Might Army should interrupt its training for Su Hongtu, prompting Si Peng to explain that the army opposed the Imperial Court.
• Meng Zhao openly guessed that a powerful backer supported the Divine Might Army and that its goal was rebellion, startling Si Peng and Hong Tianzheng.
• Si Peng challenged Meng Zhao on why he had joined despite the danger of being hunted if the rebellion failed.
• Meng Zhao cited the southern rebellion, the Great Snow Disaster, and the disloyalty of powerful clans as reasons that Great Yong was vulnerable to the Divine Might Army.

Meng Zhao discussed the Divine Might Army’s rebellion and the importance of choosing a capable leader, while Si Peng revealed his faction’s support for Su Hongtu. The chapter ended with Meng Zhao asking who Xiang Qing’s faction wanted to lead the army.

• Meng Zhao’s speech rekindled Si Peng’s confidence that the Divine Might Army’s thirty thousand soldiers could grow into a major force.
• Si Peng argued that the army needed a single leader with the talent and vision to guide it toward victory.
• Meng Zhao asked whether Su Tianwang of Yongjian Commandery was the leader Si Peng supported.
• Si Peng confirmed his faction backed Su Hongtu and complained that Xiang Qing’s people favored an outsider who had never appeared in the army’s camp.
• Meng Zhao asked who Xiang Qing’s faction supported and whether the choice risked angering the army’s officers and soldiers.

Meng Zhao learned that Long Cheng planned to seize Lingwu City with the Rebel Army and become Divine Might General, then used Long Cheng’s reputation to provoke Si Peng into reaffirming his support for Su Tianwang. The chapter left Meng Zhao relieved that Si Peng would oppose Long Cheng, though he remained wary of the forces backing Long Cheng and the Pudu Cult.

• Si Peng revealed that Long Cheng planned to take command of the Divine Might Army and that the Rebel Army in Hu Mountain intended to capture Lingwu City from within and without.
• Meng Zhao assessed the threat and concluded that Long Cheng’s plan had become difficult to carry out after Wang Xu’s capture, while resolving to return to Lingwu City quickly and place trusted people over the Divine Might Army.
• Meng Zhao praised Long Cheng’s fame and ability to attract followers, deliberately unsettling Si Peng and Hong Tianzheng.
• Si Peng argued that Long Cheng was an enemy and that only Su Tianwang could protect their interests and the Dan Chi Clan.
• Meng Zhao agreed to support Su Tianwang, privately relieved that Si Peng would not submit to Long Cheng.

Meng Zhao led a small elite force into Hu Mountain to hunt vicious beasts, using the mission to train his soldiers while secretly relying on Flood Dragon Little Nine to find prey. Their first three days went smoothly, but on the fourth day, someone began tampering with their hunt, increasing the danger and reducing their gains.

• Si Peng arranged for Meng Zhao to hunt vicious beasts with support from Hong Tianzheng and Mo Li, and Meng Zhao considered the political risks surrounding Su Tianwang and the Divine Might Army.
• Meng Zhao left capable soldiers behind under Hong Tianzheng and led a small force of Dan Chi warriors and elite soldiers out from the main camp.
• Meng Zhao secretly relied on Flood Dragon Little Nine to locate and hunt vicious beasts, allowing the party to gather abundant spoils without deaths during their first three days.
• On the fourth day, the party struggled to find vicious beasts and faced more frequent attacks from venomous insects and beasts.
• Meng Zhao concluded that someone was secretly interfering with the hunt as the force grew exhausted and its gains dwindled.

Meng Zhao searched for the unseen culprit disrupting his unit and discovered that a seemingly ordinary rat was spreading a scent that drove Fierce Beasts mad. After ordering his soldiers to prepare for an attack, he charged out to confront the beasts as they descended on the camp.

• Meng Zhao reasoned that his enemy might be using ordinary creatures to spy on and sabotage the unit, so he monitored the camp through the night.
• Meng Zhao detected a white rat emerging from frozen ground and realized it was spreading a scent that enraged Fierce Beasts.
• Meng Zhao sent Flood Dragon Little Nine to follow the rat underground and ordered his soldiers to wake and defend the camp.
• Fierce Beasts and swarms of buzzing creatures approached, and Meng Zhao charged out of the camp to fight them.

Meng Zhao tracked Flood Dragon Little Nine to a forest and confronted the little-mustached middle-aged man behind the White Mouse’s scheme. He demanded to know whether Xiang Qing or He Xin had sent the man, whose resistance crumbled under Meng Zhao’s overwhelming aura.

• Meng Zhao left the camp after assigning the Dan Chi Clan's second-in-command to guard the elite force, then followed Flood Dragon Little Nine into the mountains.
• Flood Dragon Little Nine told Meng Zhao that the White Mouse had entered the dense forest and stayed there, likely with its handler nearby.
• Meng Zhao found the White Mouse beside a bonfire with a little-mustached middle-aged man, whom he judged to be a weak, unorthodox Innate Realm Warrior.
• Meng Zhao confronted the man, who claimed he had merely lost his way and stopped to rest.
• Meng Zhao demanded to know whether Xiang Qing or He Xin had sent him and unleashed an aura that left the man terrified and unable to resist.

Meng Zhao captured Gou Shuping and forced him to reveal that Xiang Qing had ordered him to obstruct Meng Zhao’s group. Gou Shuping explained his scouting abilities and the white mouse’s role, while Meng Zhao considered whether his secret use of Flood Dragon Little Nine had been discovered.

• Meng Zhao subdued Gou Shuping with the North Sea Dragon Fighting Hand and threatened him into cooperating.
• Gou Shuping admitted that He Xin had relayed Xiang Qing’s order for him to disrupt Meng Zhao’s group.
• Gou Shuping identified himself as a Liang Prefecture wanderer and a scout working under Xiang Qing, known as the Brocade Mouse for his mouse’s ability to steal and scout.
• Gou Shuping explained that his spiritual link with the white mouse made them effective at concealment and reconnaissance for the Divine Might Army.
• Meng Zhao realized Xiang Qing had used Gou Shuping to delay or sabotage the group, then judged that Gou Shuping probably had not learned about Flood Dragon Little Nine.

Meng Zhao spared Gou Shuping and recruited him, using a poisonous pill to ensure his obedience. Gou Shuping accepted the arrangement and prepared to follow Meng Zhao’s orders.

• Meng Zhao recognized Gou Shuping’s talent and asked what he planned to do now that his identity had been exposed.
• Gou Shuping submitted to Meng Zhao and agreed to serve him rather than risk being killed or abandoned in a conflict with Xiang Qing.
• Meng Zhao warned that using Gou Shuping against Xiang Qing could leave him as a discarded pawn, prompting Gou Shuping to pledge his loyalty.
• Meng Zhao gave Gou Shuping a poisonous pill as a safeguard, and Gou Shuping swallowed it without hesitation.
• Meng Zhao told Gou Shuping to rise and follow several instructions, and Gou Shuping agreed to carry them out carefully.

Meng Zhao returned to the Divine Might Army camp after completing his hunt and reported his suspicions to Si Peng. He then visited Hong Tianzheng and Madam Hong, confirmed her recovery, and helped her resume cultivation.

• Meng Zhao ordered Gou Shuping to leak a false account of the beast hunt's purpose to Xiang Qing's people, then staged disturbances so Gou Shuping could leave without suspicion.
• Meng Zhao's squad avoided a poisonous giant beast, gathered enough blood-and-flesh essence, and returned to camp.
• Meng Zhao reported to Si Peng, handed over the essence, and blamed the delay on suspected interference; Si Peng rewarded him and dismissed him.
• Meng Zhao visited Hong Tianzheng and Madam Hong, examined her condition, and found signs that her life essence was beginning to recover.
• Meng Zhao used Heavenly Silkworm Silk to help Madam Hong practice cultivation, then joined Hong Tianzheng for a welcoming meal.

Meng Zhao and Hong Tianzheng discussed Madam Hong’s recovery, political interference, and the danger surrounding Su Hongtu. Hong Tianzheng pledged to support Meng Zhao if he clashed with Si Peng and revealed that he could help keep Mo Li’s soldiers orderly.

• Hong Tianzheng asked whether Madam Hong could recover without an ice-element supreme art, and Meng Zhao said it was indispensable to her cure.
• Meng Zhao described the interference he faced during his beast-hunting operation, and Hong Tianzheng suspected Xiang Qing’s faction was responsible.
• Hong Tianzheng worried Xiang Qing might learn about Su Hongtu’s secret, while Meng Zhao warned that the matter could grow beyond the Commissioner’s control.
• Meng Zhao asked Hong Tianzheng to stand with him if conflict broke out between him and Si Peng and to prevent Divine Might Camp from descending into chaos.
• Hong Tianzheng agreed and said his influence could help keep both his guard division and Mo Li’s guard division orderly.

Meng Zhao and Hong Tianzheng attended a tightly guarded meeting where Si Peng announced that his feud with Xiang Qing had become irreparable and war could break out at any time. Mo Li opposed fighting, warning that it could destroy the Divine Might Army, and the meeting ended without agreement.

• Meng Zhao learned that Si Peng and Xiang Qing had nearly come to blows after arguing over the interference that delayed Meng Zhao's mission.
• Si Peng summoned Meng Zhao and Hong Tianzheng to his command tent, where Wei Hua and Mo Li were also present.
• Si Peng said he believed Xiang Qing had arranged the interference and warned that the two factions might soon go to war.
• Meng Zhao and Hong Tianzheng pledged to follow Si Peng's orders, with Meng Zhao offering the support of his five thousand Danchi warriors.
• Mo Li objected to war, arguing that it would fracture the Divine Might Army and undermine King Su's interests.

Si Peng persuaded Mo Li and the others to prepare for a possible conflict with Xiang Qing’s side and to protect Su Tianwang while he cultivated. Hong Tianzheng warned that leaving the army without its leaders could expose their base and Madam Hong to danger.

• Wei Hua and Hong Tianzheng persuaded Mo Li to let Si Peng prepare for a possible conflict with Xiang Qing’s side.
• Si Peng revealed that Su Tianwang would soon summon them after the essence of fierce beasts’ flesh and blood had been gathered for his martial arts breakthrough.
• Mo Li agreed to protect Su Tianwang and offered to mobilize his five thousand elite troops.
• Wei Hua agreed to join and said he hoped to fight Luo Ning if Xiang Qing’s people intervened.
• Hong Tianzheng questioned who would protect the army and Madam Hong if the leaders left to guard Su Tianwang.

Si Peng arranged for Hong Tianzheng to remain at Divine Might Camp and command the army while the others went to protect Su Hongtu during his seclusion. The group accepted the plan, leaving Meng Zhao and Si Peng to prepare for the journey.

• Si Peng explained that Hong Tianzheng should stay behind to guard the camp, protect Madam Hong, and prevent Xiang Qing's faction from seizing military authority.
• Si Peng privately weighed his concerns about Meng Zhao and chose Hong Tianzheng because he believed Madam Hong gave him leverage over the general.
• Hong Tianzheng agreed to stay, following the arrangement he and Meng Zhao had discussed the previous night.
• Mo Li approved the decision, saying he trusted Hong Tianzheng to command the guards.
• Si Peng told everyone to prepare to leave and said Su Hongtu's success would eventually let their faction command the Divine Might Army.

Su Hongtu and Si Peng discussed rumors that the Great Snow Disaster was tied to someone inheriting an ancient God or Devil’s power, then prepared for a final clash with Xiang Qing’s group. Si Peng planned to guard Su Hongtu while he cultivated an extraordinary art.

• Su Hongtu asked Si Peng about the day and suggested the Great Snow Disaster might be connected to a person.
• Su Hongtu shared a rumor that someone had inherited a fallen God or Devil’s legacy and caused the disaster, but Si Peng rejected it and warned that Su Hongtu seemed changed.
• Su Hongtu admitted he might be anxious but said the vicious beast flesh and blood Si Peng brought would help him master an extraordinary art and defeat Xiang Qing.
• Si Peng said he would guard Su Hongtu with Wei Hua, Mo Li, and Lu Yang, whom he described as a powerful ally and the source of the beast essence.
• Su Hongtu told Si Peng to prepare for a final clash and not show mercy, and Si Peng resolved to be the victor.

Xiang Qing gathered his allies after learning that Si Peng had left camp to meet Su Hongtu, who was cultivating with the support of ferocious-beast essence. The group considered how to stop Su Hongtu and counter Si Peng, but Xiang Qing warned that He Wuji and the other guard generals made a surprise attack on Hong Tianzheng too risky.

• Si Peng left the Divine Might Army camp with Wei Hua, Mo Li, and Lu Yang to meet Su Hongtu.
• Xiang Qing told Luo Ning, He Xin, Xu Fei, Shen Zhihang, and Gou Shuping that Su Hongtu was cultivating and might later seize power.
• Xu Fei urged the group to investigate Su Hongtu before acting, while Shen Zhihang proposed disrupting his faction by seizing military command.
• Luo Ning and He Xin warned that Hong Tianzheng was overseeing Mo Li and Lu Yang's troops and would be difficult to defeat without heavy losses.
• Xiang Qing reminded the group that He Wuji and two other guard generals could intervene, and forbade a surprise attack on Hong Tianzheng and his army.

Xiang Qing warned his allies that Su Hongtu was pursuing a dangerous method to reach the Grandmaster realm and asked them to help sabotage his breakthrough. His allies agreed, committing themselves to opposing Su Hongtu despite the risks.

• Shen Zhihang and Xu Fei discussed how He Wuji's influence and Si Peng's arrangements could hinder their efforts to absorb Hong Tianzheng's forces.
• He Xin explained that Hong Tianzheng was difficult to win over because Si Peng had already earned his gratitude by helping his sickly wife, and Xiang Qing rejected threatening her.
• Xiang Qing revealed that Su Hongtu was cultivating Evil Weapon Limit Break and using the Flesh Tai Sui to prepare for a Grandmaster breakthrough.
• Xiang Qing said he was eighty percent certain Su Hongtu's ritual would fail if they intervened behind the scenes, and he asked the others to help bring about Su Hongtu's downfall.
• Luo Ning, Xu Fei, Shen Zhihang, and He Xin agreed to join Xiang Qing because they feared Su Hongtu's success and could no longer remain neutral.

Su Hongtu prepared a ritual altar in a secluded valley to carry out the Evil Weapon Limit Break, while Meng Zhao observed how the altar gathered the power of the mountains and lake. Meng Zhao judged that Su Hongtu faced a difficult path and privately considered how he might take advantage of the situation.

• Su Hongtu chose a warm valley southeast of Hu Mountain, drove away its wildlife, and built a three-tier ritual altar for the Evil Weapon Limit Break.
• Yuan Qing and Qiu Lian welcomed Si Peng, Mo Li, Wei Hua, and Meng Zhao, serving them wine and grilled food while Su Hongtu continued preparing in a Stone House.
• Mo Li asked what Su Hongtu was cultivating, and Qiu Lian explained that they did not know the altar's purpose but suspected it drew power from the mountains and terrain.
• Meng Zhao used the Emperor's Qi Gazing Technique to see earth qi and Abyssal Lake Water Qi flow into the altar and sensed wicked power within its Three-legged Cauldron.
• Meng Zhao estimated that Su Hongtu had a strong chance of forging the Evil Weapon if undisturbed, but believed others' schemes and his own plans could leave Su Hongtu with little chance of success.

Meng Zhao watched Su Hongtu’s ritual valley and warned Si Peng that the altar concealed evil and that Su might be keeping secrets from them. Si Peng was left on the mountaintop, troubled by Meng Zhao’s warning.

• Si Peng found Meng Zhao alone on a mountaintop and questioned why he was watching the valley at night.
• Meng Zhao claimed his spirit eyes revealed evil qi and savagery beneath the valley’s pleasant surface.
• Si Peng concluded Su Hongtu might be using Demonic Path methods to strengthen his martial arts.
• Meng Zhao warned Si Peng that Su Hongtu’s ritual altar and secrecy were cause for caution, then descended the cliff.
• Si Peng stayed behind, silently contemplating Meng Zhao’s warning.

As Hu Mountain braced for the battle over Su Hongtu’s cultivation ritual, Si Peng revealed that his rivalry with Xiang Qing came from pride and ambition rather than love for Luo Ning. Meng Zhao urged the others to subdue their opponents instead of killing them, but Si Peng questioned whether they could afford such restraint.

• Si Peng and Wei Hua discussed whether Si Peng would spare Xiang Qing if Luo Ning pleaded for his life.
• Si Peng told Wei Hua that he had fought Xiang Qing to prove his superiority, and that he intended to kill him.
• Meng Zhao and Mo Li arrived, and Mo Li offered to kill Luo Ning if Si Peng could not.
• Meng Zhao proposed defeating Xiang Qing’s side and bringing them under Su Hongtu’s command instead of killing them.
• Si Peng challenged Meng Zhao’s confidence and argued that they could not afford to hold back.

Su Hongtu appeared before Meng Zhao and the others, preparing to fuse with the evil weapon using the ritual altar and the Worldly Power gathered in the valley. He delayed the dangerous procedure until noon, hoping sunlight would improve his chances.

• Mo Li supported Lu Yang's suggestion that Su Hongtu spare his defeated opponents and preserve the Divine Might Army after taking power.
• Su Hongtu appeared and explained that he had been adjusting his condition and harmonizing with the ritual altar's aura.
• Meng Zhao used the Emperor's Qi Gazing Technique to discern how the altar and Three-legged Cauldron let Su Hongtu draw on the valley's Worldly Power, and considered ways to counter it.
• Si Peng asked whether Su Hongtu was ready to begin the Evil Weapon Limit Break.
• Su Hongtu said the procedure had less than a fifty percent chance of success and chose to wait for noon, hoping the sun would suppress the evil weapon's evil qi.