Chapter Summaries

Su Hongtu’s allies guarded the valley while he prepared the ritual, but the altar’s power produced a sudden transformation that revealed demonic apparitions within the weapons. Meng Zhao recognized one mass of qi as the result of his own earlier arrangements, giving him a measure of leverage in the coming struggle.

• Su Tianwang organized the valley’s defenses, and Su Hongtu assigned the six experts to guard its three mountain-facing sides in pairs.
• Mo Li complained about the dark, clouded sky as everyone watched Su Hongtu and the ritual altar.
• Earthen-yellow and watery-blue qi formed two qilin around the altar, prompting Mo Li to call the sight an auspicious omen.
• The altar’s radiance caused hundreds of weapons to crack and disintegrate, releasing a host of grotesque demonic forms from their stored auras.
• Meng Zhao recognized a dark-purple, dragon-shaped aura among them as the qi of his own dragon blood and slaughter, and inferred that Zeng Dong had completed his task.

Su Hongtu carried out the next stage of the Evil Weapon Limit Break ritual, using his blood and a blazing azure fire to refine a mountain of ingredients into a tiny transparent substance. As the substance appeared, the Three-legged Cauldron shook harder and released a fragrance that stirred intense hunger among the onlookers.

• The two aura-formed qilin shredded the demonic forms, and the Three-legged Cauldron drew in the scattered energies and absorbed an ink-black cloud.
• Su Hongtu smashed the altar jars, gathered their contents, cut his arm, and ignited the pile with his blood.
• Meng Zhao wondered whether Su Hongtu had a special bloodline, while Si Peng, Mo Li, and the others took the flames as proof of his extraordinary destiny.
• Su Hongtu worked the burning materials with his hands until they were reduced to a fist-sized transparent gelatinous substance, then laughed with delight.
• The Three-legged Cauldron shook violently and released a rich fragrance that made the onlookers ravenously hungry; Yuan Qing and Qiu Lian recognized the danger, while Si Peng, Wei Hua, and Mo Li noticed something was wrong.

Su Hongtu used the Flesh Tai Sui and rare materials in a secret ritual to forge an evil weapon while Meng Zhao and Mo Li watched. Meng Zhao and Mo Li sensed hidden intruders near the mountain, but neither exposed them, leaving Su Hongtu’s undertaking vulnerable to a future attack.

• The Flesh Tai Sui reached for the Heavenly Harmony Water, but Su Hongtu blocked its tentacles and made it wait.
• Su Hongtu fed White Gold Essence, Purple Crystal Divine Jade, and Soul Blood Stone to the Flesh Tai Sui, then let it absorb the Heavenly Harmony Water.
• Mo Li asked Meng Zhao what Su Hongtu was doing, but Meng Zhao stayed silent rather than reveal his suspicions.
• Meng Zhao detected someone hiding near the mountain, and Mo Li admitted he had heard them but chose not to intervene.
• Meng Zhao realized the hidden group could strike at a crucial moment and secretly hoped they would undermine Su Hongtu.

After the Three-legged Cauldron shattered, Su Hongtu revealed that the Flesh Tai Sui had become an evil weapon capable of changing into countless forms and fusing with its wielder. Su Hongtu tested its power with a strike that split the lake, while Meng Zhao watched with growing interest and greed.

• The Three-legged Cauldron cracked apart, revealing the living, tentacle-covered Flesh Tai Sui.
• The Flesh Tai Sui shifted between weapon forms, astonishing Meng Zhao, Mo Li, Si Peng, and the others.
• Su Hongtu summoned the Flesh Tai Sui as a white sword, which fused its crimson tendrils into his hand and blood.
• Meng Zhao suspected the weapon’s unusual transformations came from a refined forging method and considered how much it could increase his combat strength.
• Su Hongtu slashed toward the lake, sending sword qi through the mist and dividing the water into two surging halves.

Su Hongtu resisted the evil weapon’s attempt to corrupt his mind, then cut off his own arm and fed it to the weapon. His companions and hidden observers watched in shock as the weapon devoured the severed limb.

• Su Hongtu nearly decided to slaughter those around him, but the Sarira’s Buddhist power dispelled the evil weapon’s influence.
• Su Hongtu cast the transformed evil weapon away and drew out the Sarira, realizing that fusing with the weapon was more dangerous than he had expected.
• Meng Zhao recognized that Su Hongtu had sensed the weapon’s danger, while the others wondered what he would do next.
• Su Hongtu severed his own left arm and stopped the bleeding through precise control of his muscles and qi.
• Su Hongtu threw the severed arm to the evil weapon, which changed into a maw and devoured it as Meng Zhao, Mo Li, Si Peng, Wei Hua, and the hidden observers watched in shock.

Su Hongtu sacrificed his arm to the Evil Weapon and prepared to attach its transformed arm to himself, while Xiang Qing stayed hidden and waited for a chance to interfere. The attachment began amid a storm of dark energy and lightning, leaving Meng Zhao convinced Su Hongtu could only be an enemy.

• After devouring Su Hongtu's severed arm, the Evil Weapon transformed into an identical arm, and Meng Zhao understood Su Hongtu's plan to use it as his own.
• Xiang Qing praised Su Hongtu's ingenuity but chose to remain concealed until the Evil Weapon's dangers or other enemies created an opening.
• Su Hongtu waited for hidden enemies to reveal themselves, then began channeling his qi and blood to proceed with the attachment.
• The Evil Weapon flew to Su Hongtu's stump and fused with him as red tendrils connected it to his body.
• Dark clouds and lightning devastated the valley while Su Hongtu was surrounded by a demonic aura, and Meng Zhao concluded that Su Hongtu could only be his enemy.

Xiang Qing and his allies attacked while Su Hongtu focused on merging with the evil weapon, but several fighters on both sides secretly held back and watched for an advantage. As the battle dragged on, Su Hongtu's black mist and evil qi began forming ghost-faced armor around him.

• Xiang Qing, Luo Ning, Xu Fei, Shen Zhihang, He Xin, and the others revealed themselves and attacked Si Peng, Wei Hua, Mo Li, Meng Zhao, Yuan Qing, and Qiu Lian.
• Meng Zhao, posing as Lu Yang, traded elaborate martial arts with Shen Zhihang while both men concealed their true strength and avoided committing to the fight.
• He Xin and Xiang Qing's other two innate subordinates fought Yuan Qing and Qiu Lian to a suspicious standstill, while Xu Fei defended against Mo Li without pressing his advantage.
• Meng Zhao noticed that Xu Fei and several other fighters were holding back, as both sides waited to see which way the battle would turn.
• Su Hongtu's black mist and evil qi thickened into armor covered in ghostly faces as he continued merging with the evil weapon.

Su Hongtu’s attempt to merge with the evil weapon transformed him into a monstrous creature despite the Buddhist formation suppressing some of its power. Si Peng abandoned his hopes of Su Hongtu leading the Divine Might Army and called for the fighting to stop.

• Su Hongtu’s body swelled and became covered in strange markings as the evil weapon’s power overwhelmed his will.
• A hidden Buddhist formation on the ritual altar suppressed the weapon’s evil qi, but it could not prevent Su Hongtu from mutating further.
• Su Hongtu grew two additional arms, a horn, and eight new eyes, becoming a monstrous creature.
• Xiang Qing taunted Si Peng that the transformed Su Hongtu could never command the Divine Might Army, and Si Peng accepted that their ambitions with him were over.
• Si Peng considered leaving with his allies to build a force of his own, then called for everyone to stop fighting.

Si Peng withdrew his support for Su Hongtu, arguing that Su Hongtu’s secret, dangerous transformation had betrayed his followers. Xiang Qing moved to confront Mo Li and ordered He Xin to kill Su Hongtu, leaving the battle poised to turn against the ritual’s leader.

• Si Peng called for an end to the fighting, and Meng Zhao and Wei Hua joined him while Yuan Qing and Qiu Lian hesitated.
• Mo Li threatened Si Peng with Su Hongtu’s future vengeance, but Si Peng denounced Su Hongtu for concealing the risks of his transformation and refused to continue protecting him.
• Xiang Qing urged Mo Li to abandon Su Hongtu, but Mo Li argued that Su Hongtu’s new strength might bring them victory and offered Xiang Qing the chance to reach the Grandmaster realm.
• Xiang Qing dismissed Mo Li’s claims, charged at him, and ordered He Xin to lead men to kill Su Hongtu.

He Xin and two Innate Masters tried to kill Su Hongtu while he remained trapped in the Evil Weapon Limit Break ritual, but the Evil Weapon’s automatic defense slaughtered two of them and drove He Xin back. Si Peng regretted withdrawing as he realized Su Hongtu’s power might still help achieve their goals, but he stayed on the sidelines to see what Xiang Qing would do.

• He Xin and two Innate Masters attacked the ritual altar’s Energy Wall while Si Peng, Wei Hua, and Meng Zhao debated whether withdrawing from Su Hongtu had been the right choice.
• He Xin and his companions exhausted the Energy Wall and rushed toward Su Hongtu, but the Evil Weapon transformed its fingers into five Long Swords and attacked them.
• The sword qi killed He Xin’s two companions, while He Xin escaped using his Eight Step Illusory Shadow technique.
• The onlookers feared Su Hongtu could kill them all if he awakened and controlled the Evil Weapon.
• Si Peng regretted abandoning Su Hongtu but chose to keep watching Xiang Qing and the others try to kill him.

He Xin used the Rain Falling Arrow to pierce Su Hongtu’s heart, but the wound awakened him instead of killing him. As Su Hongtu’s body healed, He Xin fled, while Meng Zhao suspected the Evil Weapon had replaced Su Hongtu’s vital organs.

• Xiang Qing told He Xin to use the Rain Falling Arrow against the unconscious Su Hongtu, explaining that the Evil Weapon could not detect the arrow’s lack of killing intent.
• He Xin shot the Rain Falling Arrow through Su Hongtu’s heart, bypassing the Evil Weapon’s protection.
• Xiang Qing’s group believed Su Hongtu was dead, but the arrow seemed to rouse him, and he pulled it from his chest as his wound healed.
• He Xin fled the ritual altar, fearing Su Hongtu would retaliate against him.
• Meng Zhao inferred that the Evil Weapon had become Su Hongtu’s new vital center, leaving his heart no longer essential to his survival.

Meng Zhao and Si Peng realized that Su Hongtu’s transformation was part of a plot tied to his desire for the Grandmaster Realm, and Si Peng identified Commander Bai as the one behind it. In the valley, Su Hongtu recovered and confronted Si Peng over his betrayal.

• Meng Zhao told Si Peng that Xiang Qing’s earlier words suggested Su Hongtu’s Evil Weapon Limit Break had been anticipated and might itself be a trap.
• Si Peng recalled Su Hongtu’s obsession with power and concluded that Commander Bai had manipulated him.
• Si Peng explained that Commander Bai was the founder of the Divine Might Army and had intended to give the position of Divine Might General to Dragon City.
• Su Hongtu healed, drew the five Long Swords back into his transformed arm, and surveyed the people in the valley.
• Su Hongtu accused Si Peng of betraying him and reminded him of their former oath.

Su Hongtu confronted Si Peng over abandoning him, while Si Peng accused Su Hongtu of deceiving him about the Evil Weapon ritual. After revealing his greatly enhanced power and changed desires, Su Hongtu vowed to kill everyone in the valley except Mo Li, as Xiang Qing prepared to face him.

• Su Hongtu accused Si Peng of betraying him, and Si Peng admitted withdrawing but blamed Su Hongtu for deceiving him about the ritual.
• Su Hongtu reflected that the Evil Weapon had greatly increased his strength but made him appear monstrous, costing him support and threatening his ambitions.
• Su Hongtu looked at Luo Ning with renewed lust, enraging Xiang Qing and shaming Luo Ning.
• Mo Li joined Su Hongtu on the altar and declared his loyalty, and Su Hongtu promised him a future.
• Xiang Qing stood beside Luo Ning and lamented Su Hongtu's fall, while Si Peng hoped Xiang Qing had another move prepared.

Su Hongtu demonstrated the monstrous power of his Evil Weapon Limit Break, narrowly missing Xiang Qing and Luo Ning with a strike that split a mountain. He demanded Luo Ning in exchange for sparing Xiang Qing, who rejected him and challenged his strength.

• Su Hongtu attacked Xiang Qing and Luo Ning with a blade radiance that split the mountain, but the two escaped together.
• Meng Zhao judged Su Hongtu's power immense but crude and believed he could defeat him, especially with the Emperor Yu Battle Armor.
• Mo Li knelt and praised Su Hongtu, who then taunted Si Peng about regretting his decision to withdraw.
• Su Hongtu offered to spare Xiang Qing if he handed over Luo Ning.
• Xiang Qing angrily refused and called Su Hongtu a frog at the bottom of a well.

Mo Li betrayed Su Hongtu by striking him with azure powder that seemed designed to target the Evil Weapon. His sudden defection to Xiang Qing and Luo Ning exposed the false foundations of Si Peng’s influence and left Si Peng seething with controlled killing intent.

• Su Hongtu suspected that someone had deliberately arranged for him to obtain the Evil Weapon Limit Break and Flesh Tai Sui, but trusted his newfound power to overcome any trap.
• Mo Li abruptly rose from his posture of worship, scattered azure powder over Su Hongtu, and retreated to Xiang Qing and Luo Ning’s side.
• Su Hongtu found that his power could not expel the powder, which traveled through his body and gathered in the Evil Weapon’s arm.
• The others were stunned by Mo Li’s betrayal, and Wei Hua asked whether Mo Li had always belonged to Xiang Qing.
• Si Peng realized that Mo Li’s apparent loyalty had been the basis of his influence and watched his confidence collapse into controlled fury.

After Mo Li betrayed Su Hongtu, Si Peng and Xiang Qing concluded that Commander Bai had secretly placed him beside Si Peng. Meng Zhao considered Commander Bai’s influence over the Divine Might Army and wondered whether anyone besides He Wuji could escape his control.

• Meng Zhao noticed that Xiang Qing and his allies had been surprised by Mo Li’s betrayal, then saw Xiang Qing recognize Mo Li as one of their own.
• Si Peng argued that Commander Bai, not Xiang Qing, had planted Mo Li beside him, and Xiang Qing agreed.
• Meng Zhao reconsidered Mo Li as a skilled spy whose loyalty to Su Hongtu may have been an act.
• Meng Zhao reflected on Commander Bai’s patience, strategic planning, and control over the Divine Might Army’s leaders.
• Meng Zhao concluded that He Wuji might be the only person in the Divine Might Army beyond Commander Bai’s reach because he cared only about martial cultivation.

Xiang Qing and Mo Li explained that Commander Bai had prepared multiple measures against Su Hongtu, while Meng Zhao realized Commander Bai intended to use Su Hongtu to forge the evil weapon for himself. Su Hongtu began suffering as the weapon absorbed his strength.

• Xiang Qing warned Si Peng that opposing Commander Bai would lead to his destruction, while Mo Li turned his attention to Su Hongtu.
• Mo Li revealed that he had driven Gold Melting Sand into Su Hongtu on Commander Bai's orders, and Xiang Qing said He Xin had also fired Rain Falling Arrows coated with a mysterious substance into him.
• Meng Zhao concluded that Commander Bai's true aim was to harvest the powerful evil weapon Su Hongtu had forged.
• The black mist around Su Hongtu dispersed, and he howled in agony as his evil weapon arm swelled and sprouted red flesh buds.
• Su Hongtu rapidly shrank and weakened as the evil weapon appeared to drain his body's essence.

Su Hongtu was consumed in the final forging of an evil weapon, which Qiu Lian revealed had been prepared for the future Divine Might General. Qiu Lian retrieved the Heavenly Evil Battle Casket to seal it, leaving the assembled factions to reckon with Commander Bai’s plans.

• The evil weapon devoured Su Hongtu’s remaining strength until azure and white flames consumed him and he vanished into ash.
• A pale, spiritually potent weapon emerged, plunging everyone, including Meng Zhao, into an instant of darkness.
• Meng Zhao explained that Su Hongtu had been the final living sacrifice in forging the evil weapon.
• Qiu Lian announced that the perfected weapon was dangerously powerful and had been reserved by Commander Bai for the future Divine Might General.
• Qiu Lian dismantled the ritual altar’s middle platform and retrieved the Heavenly Evil Battle Casket hidden beneath it.

Qiu Lian approached the evil weapon carrying the Heavenly Evil Battle Casket, trusting Commander Bai’s assurances that it was restrained, but the weapon killed him and drained his body. The survivors turned on one another with suspicion, and Si Peng accused Commander Bai of plotting to sacrifice them for a future Divine Might General.

• Qiu Lian carried the Heavenly Evil Battle Casket toward the evil weapon while the others watched from a distance.
• The evil weapon shot Qiu Lian through the brow with a needle, killing him before he could react.
• The needle drained Qiu Lian’s corpse, leaving only his skin as Xiang Qing, Si Peng, and the others raised their weapons defensively.
• Xiang Qing asked Mo Li whether Commander Bai had another plan, but Mo Li admitted he knew nothing and suggested Su Hongtu might have left a contingency.
• Si Peng accused Commander Bai of using them as sacrifices to empower a future Divine Might General and tried to turn Xiang Qing against him.

Meng Zhao explained that the Evil Weapon and Heavenly Evil Battle Casket offered a path toward the Grandmaster Realm, leaving Xiang Qing resolved to fight Commander Bai for the weapon. The group still faced the task of deciding how to handle the weapon and its casket.

• Xiang Qing questioned his loyalty to Commander Bai after realizing the commander might never share the secret of reaching the Grandmaster Realm.
• Xu Fei asked whether anyone could seal the Evil Weapon in the Heavenly Evil Battle Casket, while the group argued over what to do.
• Meng Zhao lifted the casket with a gesture and explained that it could nurture and strengthen the Evil Weapon.
• Meng Zhao revealed that Evil Weapon Limit Break was a Demonic Path technique that could help a martial artist overcome human limits and approach the Grandmaster Realm.
• Meng Zhao said Su Hongtu's weapon might eventually gain the power to challenge the heavenly ranks if nurtured and fed powerful martial artists.
• Xiang Qing realized why Su Hongtu had risked everything and decided he could not accept Commander Bai reserving the weapon for Dragon City.