Chapter Summaries

Luo Peng tried to break through the encirclement of Meng Family experts, while Gan Mingfeng surrendered to them. Luo Peng was overwhelmed by the attackers and left fighting for his life.

• Luo Peng unleashed Fierce Wind Transformation against six Innate Masters led by Lü Yue, but their combined qi stopped his attack.
• Luo Peng saw that Innate Masters surrounded him and called for Gan Mingfeng to flee with him.
• Gan Mingfeng disarmed himself, surrendered to the Meng Family experts, and was taken into custody by Lü Yue’s men.
• Luo Peng denounced Gan Mingfeng as a traitor as Meng Chuan and several Innate Masters attacked him.
• Luo Peng fought to protect his vital points but could not break through the group’s assault.

Luo Peng unleashed his final attack on Gan Mingfeng, gravely wounding him before Meng Chuan killed Luo Peng with the Red Flag Order. Gan Mingfeng survived and claimed he knew a secret valuable to Meng Zhao, leaving the Meng Family to decide how to save and question him.

• Luo Peng used his blood essence and Worldly Power to form a divine eagle, breaking through the Meng Family's attacks and striking at Gan Mingfeng.
• Gan Mingfeng used Seven Star Tower's Heaven Shifts Earth Turns to survive Luo Peng's desperate strike, though he was left grievously wounded.
• Meng Chuan engulfed Luo Peng in flames with the Red Flag Order, killing him.
• Lü Yue treated Gan Mingfeng and revived him with pills.
• Gan Mingfeng begged to be saved, claiming to know a great secret about Seven Star Tower and a secret that would benefit Meng Zhao, and Lü Yue promised to save him.

Meng Zhao interrogated Gan Mingfeng about his betrayal of the Seven Star Tower and learned that Gan Mingfeng had ties to the Imperial Guard. The revelation unsettled Meng Chuan and Lü Yue, but Meng Zhao remained calm and questioned whether Beitang Ang and Beitang He could be involved.

• Meng Zhao visited the wounded Gan Mingfeng with Meng Chuan and Lü Yue and asked why he had betrayed the Seven Star Tower.
• Gan Mingfeng explained that his master had used his background and connections to make him a pawn and threaten him into betrayal.
• Pressed by Meng Chuan, Gan Mingfeng revealed that his master came from the Imperial Guard and that he was an unofficial member as well.
• Meng Chuan and Lü Yue feared that the Beitang Imperial Clan might be targeting the Meng Family, but Meng Zhao stayed composed.
• Meng Zhao dismissed Meng Chuan's suspicion of Beitang Ang and Beitang He, asking whether the two could even command the Imperial Guard.

Meng Zhao questioned Gan Mingfeng about his role in the plot against the Meng Family and Seven Star Tower, while explaining why the Imperial Clan was likely only testing them. Gan Mingfeng offered evidence to clear the Meng Family and asked to be allowed to retire, but Meng Zhao pressed him about the great secret he had claimed to know.

• Meng Zhao, Lü Yue, and Gan Mingfeng agreed to keep the Imperial Clan’s involvement secret and follow Meng Zhao’s instructions rather than approach the Beitang father and son.
• Meng Zhao challenged Gan Mingfeng to explain why the Meng Family should spare him after his actions had nearly driven them into conflict with Seven Star Tower.
• Gan Mingfeng said he had been held under surveillance and forced to help Luo Peng provoke a fight, and that he had sought Meng Zhao’s protection to survive.
• Meng Chuan questioned why Gan Mingfeng had not approached the Meng Family sooner, and Gan Mingfeng stayed silent rather than explain his misjudgment.
• Gan Mingfeng offered to reveal evidence that could clear the Meng Family and asked Meng Zhao to let him leave the martial world instead of handing him to Seven Star Tower.
• Meng Zhao asked Gan Mingfeng to disclose the great secret he had promised, and Gan Mingfeng admitted he was not certain it was true.

Gan Mingfeng offered Meng Zhao the Big Red Gourd as a clue to an opportunity involving Dragon Qi, but Meng Zhao identified its red qi as a harmless remnant of dangerous Dragon Qi. Gan Mingfeng feared the revelation would fail to interest Meng Zhao and asked whether he could turn the qi into treasure.

• Gan Mingfeng presented Meng Zhao with his Big Red Gourd and asked whether he could see its secret.
• Meng Zhao identified the gourd as a natural treasure containing a thread of creation power that could improve cultivation.
• Gan Mingfeng explained that the gourd's red qi came from degenerated mountain-and-river Dragon Qi and suggested it might interest Meng Zhao.
• Meng Zhao sensed the qi and judged it to be a remnant of Taisui Dragon Qi or Fierce Fiend Dragon Qi, which would be dangerous before degeneration but was now beneficial.
• Gan Mingfeng, startled and worried that the clue would not persuade Meng Zhao, asked whether Meng Zhao could turn the remnant into treasure.

Meng Zhao learned that Gan Mingfeng’s Big Red Gourd had led him to suspect Lishou Mountain held a vein of Dragon Qi, and he heard why the mountain was so dangerous. The account of ghosts and Yin Soldiers challenged Meng Chuan’s beliefs and left the group confronting the world’s hidden history.

• Meng Zhao explained that his cultivation, Emperor Yu Battle Armor, and Evil Calamity could absorb the gourd’s Dragon Qi without harm.
• Gan Mingfeng recounted how he found the Big Red Gourd at Lishou Mountain and spent two years preparing to return for the Dragon Qi he believed lay there.
• Meng Zhao confirmed that the gourd’s red qi came from residual Dragon Qi, then asked what made Lishou Mountain deadly.
• Gan Mingfeng described the mountain’s beasts, hazards, Mountain Spirits, and Ghosts, and said he had nearly died when Yin Soldiers Borrowing Passage attacked him.
• Meng Chuan doubted that ghosts existed, but Gan Mingfeng explained how they could form and why they were appearing again.
• Meng Zhao warned Meng Chuan to respect what he did not understand and reflected on the secrets Gan Mingfeng had learned at Seven Star Tower.

Gan Mingfeng revealed what he had learned about Lishou Mountain, including the ancient demon said to be suppressed there and Emperor Yang of Sui’s hidden palace, treasures, and military inheritance. Meng Zhao considered the mountain’s risks and rewards as Gan Mingfeng offered to guide him to its lost inheritances.

• Meng Zhao pressed Gan Mingfeng to disclose everything he knew about Lishou Mountain.
• Gan Mingfeng explained that an ancient demon might be suppressed beneath the mountain and that its evil energies had fostered dangerous creatures and forces.
• Gan Mingfeng said Emperor Yang of Sui had hidden treasures and Shi Wansui’s military inheritance in the mountain while trying to suppress a cursed artifact brought back from Goryeo.
• Gan Mingfeng described how more than twenty factions had vanished after settling in Lishou Mountain, leaving their inheritances behind.
• Meng Zhao weighed the mountain’s potential rewards, and Gan Mingfeng offered to lead him to lost sects and dangerous sites.

Meng Zhao weighed Gan Mingfeng’s proposal to explore Lishou Mountain against the risks of a trap and the consequences for the Meng Family’s conflict with the Seven Star Tower. He decided to wait for Third Uncle Meng Hongdao to arrive before choosing what to do with Gan Mingfeng.

• Gan Mingfeng urged Meng Zhao to enter Lishou Mountain, warning that other explorers had already found treasures there.
• Meng Chuan encouraged Meng Zhao to seek the mountain’s opportunities, while Lü Yue cautioned that Gan Mingfeng might be luring him into an ambush.
• Meng Zhao considered Gan Mingfeng’s suspicious defection and the danger that taking him in could provoke the Seven Star Tower.
• Lü Yue suggested waiting for an elder from the Southern An Meng Family to advise them.
• Meng Zhao agreed to wait for Meng Hongdao to arrive in a few days, giving Gan Mingfeng time to recover from his injuries.

Meng Hongdao and An Hui arrived in Lingwu City with Meng Family experts and reunited with Meng Zhao, Meng Yan, and Meng Chuan. At a family meal, Meng Hongdao praised Meng Zhao’s achievements and discussed the prospect of the elder Mengs reaching Grandmasterhood, while the threat connected to Seven Star Tower remained hidden from the city.

• Meng Zhao welcomed Meng Hongdao, An Hui, and their experts at the port, then steered the reunion toward Meng Family Manor before Meng Hongdao could confront Meng Yan in public.
• An Hui warmly reunited with Meng Yan and Meng Chuan, while Meng Yan hoped she might protect him if his father punished him.
• The news of Meng Hongdao’s arrival spread through Lingwu City, but Meng Zhao kept the coming crisis involving Seven Star Tower secret.
• Meng Zhao hosted Meng Hongdao, An Hui, Meng Yan, and Meng Chuan at a lavish family meal, where Meng Hongdao praised Meng Zhao’s martial achievements.
• Meng Zhao encouraged Meng Hongdao to pursue Grandmasterhood and offered to compile his martial insights into a secret art for the Meng Family.

Meng Zhao recounted the trouble surrounding Meng Yan and the Seven Star Tower to Meng Hongdao and An Hui, then reframed the scandal as a possible marriage alliance. The chapter ended with An Hui eager for Meng Yan to take responsibility and marry the woman.

• Meng Zhao promised to record his martial arts experience for the Meng Family, delighting Meng Hongdao.
• Meng Zhao described his battle with Wu Huaien and explained the events involving Meng Yan and the Seven Star Tower.
• Meng Hongdao erupted in anger at Meng Yan for his disgraceful conduct and the trouble it brought the family.
• Meng Zhao argued that the scandal might have led to a beneficial marriage alliance if no one had interfered.
• Meng Hongdao reconsidered the matter, and An Hui urged Meng Yan to marry the woman and start a family.

Meng Zhao argued that Meng Yan’s marriage to the woman from Seven Star Tower could still ease tensions and unite the families. The discussion ended with Meng Hongdao demanding to know whether anything unusual had occurred that could threaten the Meng Family’s bloodline.

• An Hui insisted that Meng Yan marry the woman from Seven Star Tower, while Meng Hongdao worried that the deaths there had made reconciliation uncertain.
• Meng Zhao told Meng Hongdao that the woman’s influential relatives and a marriage alliance could help both families recover their relationship over time.
• Meng Zhao said Meng Yan had not abandoned the woman and suggested that they could reconcile, prompting An Hui to consider how the woman might be constrained by Seven Star Tower.
• An Hui asked Meng Yan whether the woman had been pure before they were together or whether someone had plotted against him.
• Meng Hongdao sternly questioned Meng Yan about anything unusual, while Meng Zhao realized that Meng Yuanqiao had not revealed the secret of his identity.

Meng Yan revealed that the woman he had wronged was Lin Xi’s niece, prompting the Meng family to hope for reconciliation with Seven Star Tower. Meng Zhao then disclosed that the Imperial Guard had plotted against the family, and Meng Hongdao agreed to prepare the family while judging that the imperial clan meant suppression rather than open war.

• Meng Yan admitted that he had pursued and wronged a young woman before learning she was the niece of a powerful Seven Star Tower figure.
• Meng Hongdao identified the woman as Lin Xi’s niece and saw a chance to restore the Meng family’s alliance with Seven Star Tower.
• Meng Hongdao asked Meng Zhao to explain the secret force threatening the Meng family, and Meng Zhao revealed his dealings with Imperial Guard agents.
• Meng Hongdao concluded that the imperial clan was trying to suppress the Meng family rather than attack it openly, and Meng Zhao urged him to inform Eldest Uncle.

Meng Hongdao advised Meng Zhao to use the imperial clan’s pressure as a reason to reconcile with the Seven Star Tower while strengthening the Meng Family. Meng Zhao agreed to entrust the negotiations to Meng Hongdao and travel to Lishou Mountain, leaving the Northern Lands’ security to the forces already in place.

• Meng Zhao asked Meng Hongdao how to handle Gan Mingfeng and the conflict between the Meng Family and the Seven Star Tower.
• Meng Hongdao urged Meng Zhao to take Gan Mingfeng to Lishou Mountain and said he would negotiate with the Seven Star Tower, using the imperial threat to encourage cooperation.
• Meng Zhao worried that Imperial Clan Imperial Guards had further infiltrated the Seven Star Tower and might reveal that the Meng Family knew the truth.
• Meng Hongdao explained that great families pursued long-term advantage and that the Beitang Imperial Clan would favor negotiation over immediately destroying the Meng Family.
• Meng Zhao agreed to leave the Seven Star Tower matter to Meng Hongdao and go to Lishou Mountain, though he worried about threats from the Pudu Cult and Plainclothes Alliance.
• Meng Hongdao reassured Meng Zhao that the northern families and other forces were prepared to suppress unrest, and Meng Zhao recognized that uprisings depended on support from powerful backers.

Meng Hongdao explained why the Emperor viewed Meng Zhao as a threat and asked whether he wanted to become the Meng Family head and Earl of Nan'an. The chapter ended before Meng Zhao answered, as the family weighed his extraordinary ability against its usual succession customs.

• An Hui scolded Meng Yan and Meng Chuan while urging them to work harder, especially Meng Chuan.
• Meng Zhao told Meng Hongdao that the Emperor targeted him because his rise had upset the balance between the Meng and Lei families.
• Meng Hongdao explained how the Imperial Clan had supported and restrained both families to prevent either from dominating Ji Prefecture.
• Meng Hongdao warned that Meng Zhao's growing strength threatened the Imperial Clan's control of Ji Prefecture, though the Emperor was not yet determined to eliminate him.
• Meng Hongdao asked Meng Zhao whether he wanted the family headship and the title of Earl of Nan'an, since his talent made him the strongest candidate.

Meng Zhao told Meng Hongdao that he wanted to become head of the Meng Family and revealed that he had plans and connections to expand its influence across several prefectures. Meng Hongdao supported him and gave him a Fire Dragon Pearl from Meng Jizu, leaving Meng Zhao with both Water and Fire Dragon Pearls.

• Meng Zhao told Meng Hongdao that he would not compete for the title of Earl of Nan'an but wanted control of the Meng Family and its future.
• Meng Zhao said he had established connections in Liang Prefecture and intended to use a marriage alliance to gain influence in Yanzhou.
• Meng Hongdao declared that he favored Meng Zhao as the future family head and promised to help him, while urging him to preserve family ties.
• Meng Zhao assured Meng Hongdao that he would not act against the Meng Family or its kin.
• Meng Hongdao gave Meng Zhao a Fire Dragon Pearl that Meng Jizu had traded for from the Ninth Prince, and Meng Zhao accepted it.

Meng Zhao and Gan Mingfeng traveled to Lishou Mountain seeking a destined opportunity, only to find the Pai Gang had sealed it off. With rumors of great treasures drawing martial artists to the mountain and a suspected Grandmaster killing intruders, Meng Zhao faced a dangerous blockade.

• Meng Zhao quietly left Meng Family Village with Gan Mingfeng and traveled downstream toward Yanzhou, leaving Meng Hongdao to handle affairs at home.
• On the journey, Meng Zhao learned that the Northern Lands remained relatively peaceful while martial unrest and conflict had spread through other provinces.
• Meng Zhao and Gan Mingfeng reached Yong'an County and discovered the Pai Gang had tightly blockaded Lishou Mountain.
• Rumors spread that Lishou Mountain held a demon's inheritance, a Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill, or an emperor's legacy, drawing crowds of martial artists who demanded entry.
• A hidden expert suspected of being a Grandmaster killed eight innate-level martial artists who tried to enter the mountain, keeping the Pai Gang's blockade in place.

Meng Zhao investigated the Pai Gang’s blockade of Lishou Mountain and learned that an unknown grandmaster called Mr. Yue was directing it as part of a scheme. He decided to enter the mountain soon with Gan Mingfeng to pursue the dragon qi and the possible Great Sui Legacy Cache, while Min Tao and three other gang leaders considered how to get past the blockade.

• Meng Zhao secretly gathered information and learned that Mr. Yue, a grandmaster serving someone else, had ordered the Pai Gang to keep outsiders off Lishou Mountain.
• Gan Mingfeng suggested that Meng Zhao observe Mr. Yue and explained that he had previously explored the mountain and had some leads on its opportunities.
• Meng Zhao chose not to provoke Mr. Yue and told Gan Mingfeng to prepare to guide him into the mountain within a few days.
• Gan Mingfeng identified the likely locations of the dragon qi and the Great Sui Legacy Cache, then asked Meng Zhao to spare his life.
• Min Tao told three other gang leaders that Lu Hou'er could not open a passage through the Pai Gang’s blockade, leaving them disappointed and unable to force their way into the mountain.

The leaders of the Spirit Ape Gang, Tianxing Gang, Xuan Shuang Society, and Xuanwu Gang discussed how to reach the opportunity in Lishou Mountain despite Lu Hou'er and the Grandmaster guarding its entrances. Min Tao proposed opening a dangerous new route, leaving Wu Chen and Peng Haibing wavering while Xu Tingyun remained distinct from the older leaders.

• Wu Chen questioned why the greedy Lu Hou'er obeyed Mr. Yue so readily, while Min Tao warned that Lu Hou'er's fear revealed the Grandmaster's power and influence.
• Peng Haibing urged the others to abandon the mountain rather than risk being killed, but Xu Tingyun encouraged Min Tao to reveal his plan.
• Min Tao proposed entering Lishou Mountain by opening a route beyond the Pai Gang's control, relying on the four leaders' strength to overcome the dangers.
• The other three rejected the plan as too risky, noting that Innate Masters had already died near the mountain and that forging a new path could leave them lost or dead.
• Min Tao argued that the older leaders would otherwise remain trapped in the Innate Realm, and his words made Wu Chen and Peng Haibing reconsider.

Xu Tingyun told Min Tao, Wu Chen, and Peng Haibing about his past journey into Lishou Mountain and proposed using a surviving friend’s route to enter it. After learning the friend was a direct disciple of Seven Star Tower, the men agreed to approach him as companions rather than capture him.

• Xu Tingyun revealed that he had previously entered Lishou Mountain, encountered fierce beasts, poisonous miasma, and Yin Soldiers Borrowing Passage, and escaped with a stalk of Purple Gold Bamboo.
• Xu Tingyun told Min Tao, Wu Chen, and Peng Haibing that another member of his former group had survived and returned to the mountain’s foot.
• Min Tao proposed capturing the survivor and forcing him to reveal his route and what he had found.
• Xu Tingyun warned that the survivor was a direct disciple of Seven Star Tower, prompting the three men to abandon the plan to seize him.
• Xu Tingyun suggested that they travel into the mountain with his friend, and Min Tao, Wu Chen, and Peng Haibing accepted.

Gan Mingfeng and Meng Zhao received Xu Tingyun and three powerful faction leaders, who proposed renewing their old plan to explore Lishou Mountain together. Meng Zhao concealed his identity by posing as a young Seven Star Tower disciple, leaving the group unaware of the danger standing among them.

• After dinner, Xu Tingyun knocked at the house where Gan Mingfeng and Meng Zhao were staying.
• Gan Mingfeng welcomed Xu Tingyun and Min Tao, Wu Chen, and Peng Haibing, while they judged his recent injury and assessed him as little threat.
• Xu Tingyun recalled how they had survived the Yin Soldiers Borrowing Passage and suggested they pursue their unfinished plan to enter Lishou Mountain.
• Gan Mingfeng learned that Xu Tingyun's companions were powerful faction leaders and privately felt reassured that Meng Zhao was with him.
• At Meng Zhao's prompting, Gan Mingfeng introduced him as a talented junior brother from Seven Star Tower named Little Meng.
• Meng Zhao acted like an inexperienced young martial artist, and Xu Tingyun and the others relaxed their suspicions.