Chapter Summaries

Meng Zhao tested Gui Ba’s usefulness by asking how he would take control of Yanzhou amid a rebellion. Gui Ba identified Pudu Cult as the first of three great obstacles, while Meng Zhao considered how to absorb the cult through Monk Huikong’s influence.

• Gui Ba inferred that Meng Zhao prized ambition and ability, then offered to gather intelligence and seek delicacies and beauties for him.
• Meng Zhao questioned Gui Ba about his information-gathering skills, and Gui Ba explained his former role managing Pai Gang’s intelligence.
• Meng Zhao asked how he could take control of Yanzhou if the world fell into chaos.
• Gui Ba said Meng Zhao would need to level three great mountains and named Pudu Cult as the first obstacle.
• Gui Ba described Pudu Cult’s influence among Yanzhou’s poor and its potential reach into Pai Gang families.
• Meng Zhao judged that Monk Huikong might help him unite or absorb Pudu Cult without a costly war.

Meng Zhao learned that the Tan Family’s power made it the greatest obstacle to establishing himself in Yanzhou, but its lack of an heir left it vulnerable. He suspected the Beitang Imperial Clan might interfere with Tan Cai’er’s marriage, though he believed Tan Changming and Ye Huan could resist that pressure.

• Gui Ba named Tan Changming and the Tan Family as the foremost power in Yanzhou, backed by a personal army of three hundred thousand.
• Meng Zhao explained that Tan Changming’s rise depended not only on military achievements but also on his wife’s influential family.
• Gui Ba argued that anyone seeking a foothold in Yanzhou had to win the Tan Family’s support or overcome its power.
• Meng Zhao recognized that the Tan Family had no successor and considered whether the Beitang Imperial Clan might use Tan Cai’er’s marriage to bring Yanzhou under its influence.
• Meng Zhao concluded that even if the imperial clan interfered with the marriage, Tan Changming and Ye Huan might be able to resist it.

Meng Zhao questioned Gui Ba about the third great mountain blocking his control of Yanzhou, and Gui Ba argued that Divine Saber Hall would intervene despite its reputation for neutrality. Gui Ba revealed that a powerful faction descended from the Beitang Imperial Clan had formed within the Hall, leaving Meng Zhao skeptical but attentive.

• Meng Zhao suggested that bringing the Tan Family under control would make victory in Yanzhou likely, but Gui Ba insisted the third great mountain mattered most.
• Gui Ba identified Divine Saber Hall as the third great mountain and said it would involve itself if Meng Zhao tried to control Yanzhou.
• Gui Ba explained that Divine Saber Hall’s reputation for neutrality concealed its involvement in major political upheavals and its ties to the dynasty.
• Gui Ba claimed that Beitang Imperial Clan descendants had formed an influential faction among Divine Saber Hall’s upper ranks.
• Meng Zhao questioned whether the alleged faction could truly influence Divine Saber Hall and asked whether Lu Hou'er knew about it.
• Gui Ba said he had bought the information privately from a friend and had not shared it with Lu Hou'er because Pai Gang could not reach Divine Saber Hall.

Meng Zhao questioned Gui Ba about an imperial descendant’s influence within Divine Saber Hall and learned it stemmed from the Eight Demonic Saber Techniques. Gui Ba began to explain the techniques’ significance by asking which saber was strongest in the Blade Sharpening Pool.

• Meng Zhao doubted that Gui Ba’s childhood friend could influence Divine Saber Hall, and Gui Ba explained that they had studied together and exchanged favors for payment.
• Gui Ba said his friend had gained a foothold in Divine Saber Hall by serving an important figure and had passed along information about an imperial descendant.
• Meng Zhao asked whether the descendant could sway Divine Saber Hall and interfere with his attempt to take control of Yanzhou.
• Gui Ba said the descendant had peerless talent and mastered the Eight Demonic Saber Techniques, winning the support of Divine Saber Hall’s upper echelon.
• Meng Zhao asked what made the Eight Demonic Saber Techniques so powerful, and Gui Ba asked which saber was strongest in the Blade Sharpening Pool.

Gui Ba explained the origins and nature of the Eight Demonic Saber Techniques, which Divine Saber Hall developed to communicate with the demonic saber Jingqing. Meng Zhao understood that mastering the techniques allowed practitioners to borrow Jingqing’s power, and he wondered whether Evil Calamity could eventually devour it.

• Meng Zhao connected the imperial clansman’s Eight Demonic Saber Techniques to the demonic saber hidden in Divine Saber Hall’s Blade Sharpening Pool.
• Gui Ba revealed that Jingqing was forged from a fragment of Chiyou’s Tiger Soul Saber and that generations of Divine Saber Hall experts had failed to control it.
• Gui Ba explained that Divine Saber Hall developed the Eight Demonic Saber Techniques from insights gained by studying Jingqing, and that each technique could help practitioners borrow its power.
• Meng Zhao questioned how the techniques could work if no one had mastered them, and Gui Ba explained that their creators had tested them by borrowing Jingqing’s power.
• Meng Zhao concluded that the techniques acted like incremental permissions to use Jingqing and understood how they had boosted the imperial clansman’s influence.

Meng Zhao weighed whether to kill the imperial clansman of the Divine Saber Hall, deciding the danger and cost were not worthwhile while he had no immediate need to seize Yanzhou. He assigned Gui Ba to monitor the clansman and alert him if the man planned to leave the Divine Saber Hall.

• Gui Ba explained the imperial clansman's mastery of the Eight Demonic Saber Techniques and the obstacle he could pose to Meng Zhao's control of Yanzhou.
• Meng Zhao considered the difficulty and consequences of killing the clansman, including the risk of facing the Divine Saber Hall and the cost of using the Heaven-Illuminating Divine Mirror.
• Meng Zhao decided he had no urgent reason to kill the clansman and could wait for a better opportunity.
• Meng Zhao tested Gui Ba and offered him money or cultivation resources to gather information from his childhood friend.
• Gui Ba agreed to maintain contact and report immediately if the imperial clansman showed signs of leaving the Divine Saber Hall.

Lu Hou'er went to Wu Wanzhong's residence to discuss the Life and Death Duel involving Old Blade Zhao. Wu Xuan agreed to bring him to his father, leaving Lu Hou'er and his party on their way to meet Wu Wanzhong and Old Blade Zhao.

• Lu Hou'er rode to Wu Wanzhong's residence with several skilled men and a case of concealed wooden sabers.
• Nearly twenty saber wielders confronted Lu Hou'er at the gate, and Wu Xuan explained that they were guarding Old Blade Zhao, who was resting inside.
• Lu Hou'er told Wu Xuan that his business concerned both Wu Wanzhong and the guest staying at the residence.
• Wu Xuan considered protecting Old Blade Zhao's preparations for his Life and Death Duel, but decided Lu Hou'er might be able to mediate and prevent the fight.
• Wu Xuan dismissed the guards and led Lu Hou'er and his party into the residence to meet his father.

Lu Hou'er visited Wu Wanzhong to ask for Old Blade Zhao, explaining that he had been ordered to arrange a meeting with someone who could help Zhao defeat Gu Li. Wu Wanzhong grew suspicious and guessed the Tan Family was behind the request because of Gu Li's rumored engagement to them.

• Lu Hou'er met Wu Wanzhong in Wu Manor and noticed how weary he had become since their previous meeting.
• Wu Wanzhong demanded that Lu Hou'er state his purpose, and Lu Hou'er said he had come for Old Blade Zhao, who was likely behind Wu Wanzhong's distress.
• Lu Hou'er explained that he had been ordered to invite Old Blade Zhao to meet someone who would offer benefits and might help him defeat Gu Li.
• Wu Wanzhong questioned who could command Lu Hou'er and suspected the Tan Family had sent him to protect Gu Li, their rumored future son-in-law.

Wu Wanzhong worried that Old Blade Zhao’s duel with Gu Li could provoke the powerful Tan Family, while Lu Hou'er tried to persuade him that his master meant no harm. Wu Wanzhong called for Zhao to decide for himself and made clear he would stand by his friend even if it cost him his life.

• Wu Wanzhong recalled why he had tried to stop Old Blade Zhao’s Life and Death Duel, fearing the Tan Family would retaliate if Gu Li died.
• Lu Hou'er explained that he had been humbled at Lishou Mountain and now served another master, then insisted his master had no intention of harming Old Blade Zhao.
• Wu Wanzhong tested Lu Hou'er by asking whether Gu Li was the Tan Family’s Childhood Engagement, and Lu Hou'er denied that his master was from Yanzhou or the Tan Family.
• Lu Hou'er set down the box his master had sent, and Wu Wanzhong told Wu Xuan to summon Old Blade Zhao so he could decide whether to duel.
• Wu Wanzhong told Lu Hou'er that he and Old Blade Zhao were closer than brothers and that he would stand by Zhao, even if they both died.

Lu Hou'er tried to persuade Old Blade Zhao to meet his mysterious master before Zhao's Life and Death Duel with Gu Li. Zhao remained wary, but Lu Hou'er offered him a box containing something that might help him survive the fight.

• Wu Xuan brought Old Blade Zhao to the tea room, where Wu Wanzhong introduced Lu Hou'er and vouched for him.
• Old Blade Zhao asked Lu Hou'er whether he thought Zhao would lose the duel, and Lu Hou'er warned that Gu Li might have powerful backing and hidden weapons.
• Wu Wanzhong urged Old Blade Zhao to hear Lu Hou'er out, noting that Gu Li might use underhanded tricks beyond the arena.
• Lu Hou'er invited Old Blade Zhao to meet his master and said the box contained an item that could help him in the duel.
• Lu Hou'er told Old Blade Zhao to inspect the item and offered him the choice to take it into the arena if he still refused to meet his master.

Lu Hou'er delivered a seemingly ordinary wooden saber on behalf of a powerful figure, but its Saber Charm gave Wu Wanzhong and Wu Xuan insights into their martial arts and revealed a path to a Grandmaster saber art for Old Blade Zhao. Old Blade Zhao’s carefully cultivated state was disrupted, but he welcomed the wooden saber as the key to breaking through.

• Old Blade Zhao opened the box with Formless Saber Force and found an unimpressive wooden saber inside.
• Old Blade Zhao drew the wooden saber, releasing a dazzling Saber Light that astonished him, Wu Wanzhong, and Wu Xuan.
• Wu Wanzhong saw the principles of speed and slowness in the saber and improved his saber technique, while Wu Xuan’s inner cultivation rose a level.
• Old Blade Zhao perceived a tyrannical Saber Charm and realized its eight-word essence could guide a Grandmaster-level saber art.
• Old Blade Zhao’s aura surged and broke the state he had spent days cultivating, but he rejoiced and declared the wooden saber his path to advancement.

Lu Hou'er explained that his master had carved the wooden saber for Old Blade Zhao and revealed that the master was a Great Grandmaster who had faced a Celestial. Seeing a chance to advance his Saber Dao, Old Blade Zhao agreed to meet him before his Life and Death Duel with Gu Li.

• The wooden saber broke Old Blade Zhao’s unstable battle state, and Lu Hou'er said it could aid his cultivation and unleash power capable of killing a Grandmaster.
• Lu Hou'er revealed that his master had carved the saber from a chessboard and described his master’s strength and standing.
• Old Blade Zhao questioned what would happen if he refused to meet the master, and Lu Hou'er said he only needed to bring the saber to the arena.
• Old Blade Zhao decided to meet the master, recognizing the saber as a rare chance to transform his Martial Dao.
• Lu Hou'er and Old Blade Zhao set out to meet the master before the duel with Gu Li.

Old Blade Zhao and Lu Hou'er returned to Meng Zhao, who questioned Zhao about the Divine Saber Hall and its strongest saber practitioners. After learning about the Eight Demonic Saber Techniques, Meng Zhao discovered that he would have to visit the Hall's Blade Sharpening Pool to study them.

• Old Blade Zhao left the Wu Family with Lu Hou'er, while a Wu Family servant secretly sent a note that a traveler picked up and carried away.
• Gui Ba arranged wine, food, and three women for Meng Zhao, and Lu Hou'er and Old Blade Zhao arrived to find him enjoying their company.
• Meng Zhao's intimidating presence convinced Old Blade Zhao that he was a genuine powerhouse, and Meng Zhao asked Zhao about the strongest expert he had encountered in the Divine Saber Hall.
• Old Blade Zhao named Crouching Dragon and described Bei Tangsu as the Hall's most accomplished disciple, who had mastered the Eight Demonic Saber Techniques.
• Meng Zhao asked about the Eight Demonic Saber Techniques, and Old Blade Zhao explained that he could not recall or reproduce them because they were inscribed in the Divine Saber Hall's Blade Sharpening Pool.

Meng Zhao assessed Old Blade Zhao’s chances in his Life and Death Duel with Gu Li and offered to help him win. Old Blade Zhao accepted Meng Zhao’s offer and entered his service, giving Meng Zhao a valuable connection to Divine Saber Hall.

• Old Blade Zhao estimated that he had only a forty to fifty percent chance of defeating Gu Li that night, especially if Gu Li had a powerful backer or a special treasure.
• Meng Zhao warned Old Blade Zhao that Gu Li’s support and hidden methods could matter more than martial skill, and promised that his help would make killing Gu Li easy.
• Meng Zhao revealed that he wanted Old Blade Zhao’s ties and information network within Divine Saber Hall as part of his plans for Yanzhou.
• Old Blade Zhao understood that Meng Zhao’s help came with an expectation of loyalty and immediately agreed to serve him without regret.
• Meng Zhao’s wooden saber and promise of a brighter future had already drawn Old Blade Zhao into the net he had laid.

Meng Zhao enhanced Old Blade Zhao’s body and saber cultivation, greatly improving his chances of reaching the Grandmaster realm. After Old Blade Zhao pledged his loyalty, Meng Zhao questioned him about his duel with Gu Li and uncovered the Tan Family’s role.

• Meng Zhao used his true qi and Martial Dao intent to enhance Old Blade Zhao’s potential and help his Saber Soul ascend into Saber Light.
• Old Blade Zhao thanked Meng Zhao, knelt before him, and pledged to obey his commands.
• Meng Zhao asked whether someone had arranged Old Blade Zhao’s deadly duel with Gu Li, and Old Blade Zhao admitted he had acted at another party’s request.
• Meng Zhao asked whether that force was the Tan Family, and Old Blade Zhao confirmed that they had hired him to kill Gu Li and conceal their involvement.

Meng Zhao learned why Old Blade Zhao had agreed to the Life and Death Duel and ordered him to kill Gu Li, backing him with a powerful wooden saber. Old Blade Zhao prepared for the duel, while Meng Zhao planned to seek Monk Huikong’s support and face whoever stood behind Gu Li.

• Old Blade Zhao explained that the Tan Family had helped him enter Divine Saber Hall, leaving him indebted enough to accept their request to kill Gu Li.
• Meng Zhao asked why the Tan Family wanted Gu Li dead, and Old Blade Zhao guessed it was because of Gu Li’s rumored Childhood Engagement to the Tan Family.
• Old Blade Zhao outlined why Meng Zhao might support him, and Meng Zhao confirmed that both reasons could be true at once.
• Meng Zhao told Old Blade Zhao to rest with Lu Hou'er, keep the wooden saber, and leave Gu Li’s life on the arena that night.
• After Meng Zhao left, Lu Hou'er congratulated Old Blade Zhao, who asked to learn Meng Zhao’s identity and then confidently promised to win the duel.

Gu Li prepared for his Life and Death Duel against Old Blade Zhao, confident that his Heavy Gang Fist Gauntlets would ensure victory. Before the duel, his companion gave him a dangerous saber pendant containing the demonic saber’s power as a final safeguard.

• Prominent martial figures gathered at New Joy Ward's Grand Arena to watch the Life and Death Duel between two Peak Innate Masters.
• Gu Li and his companion discussed the Tan Family’s suspected role in supporting Old Blade Zhao, and Gu Li dismissed his opponent as no threat.
• Gu Li praised the Heavy Gang Fist Gauntlets, which amplified his fist force and contained power condensed by Lord Su.
• Gu Li’s companion warned him not to underestimate the Tan Family and gave him a black saber pendant containing the demonic saber’s power.
• Gu Li accepted the pendant and learned that Lord Su had paid a steep price for it, so he was told to use it only if necessary.

Gu Li discussed his Childhood Engagement to Tan Cai'er and the power struggle surrounding the Tan Family with a companion, while hiding his resentment toward Bei Tangsu. When the Life and Death Duel against Old Blade Zhao was announced, Gu Li prepared to fight, with his companion expecting him to return victorious.

• Gu Li accepted the Black Dagger Pendant and told his companion that he would leave the Childhood Engagement's fate to Lord Su's arrangements.
• Gu Li learned that his companion believed Bei Tangsu coveted Tan Cai'er and intended to use the Tan Family to gain control of Yanzhou.
• Gu Li concealed his anger at the prospect of Bei Tangsu marrying Tan Cai'er and warned that Bei Tangsu's ambitions could bring him into conflict with the Great Emperor.
• A knock announced that the Life and Death Duel was about to begin.
• Gu Li tucked away the Black Dagger Pendant, put on the Heavy Gang Fist Gauntlets, and went to face Old Blade Zhao as his companion wished him luck.

Old Blade Zhao and Gu Li began their Life and Death Duel in New Joy Ward, where Gu Li used his Heavy Gang Fist Gauntlets to shatter Zhao’s saber with his opening punch. Zhao lost the advantage he had counted on, but remained calm as the fight continued.

• Old Blade Zhao and Gu Li entered the arena and faced the roaring crowd gathered to watch their duel.
• Gu Li recognized Old Blade Zhao’s recent martial breakthrough, while Zhao noticed Gu Li’s strengthened aura and powerful gauntlets.
• Old Blade Zhao drew his saber and launched the first attack, and Gu Li met it with a powerful punch.
• Gu Li’s punch shattered Old Blade Zhao’s saber and seized the advantage, leaving Zhao to reassess his chances without panicking.

Old Blade Zhao and Gu Li fought a drawn-out battle in which Zhao used his speed to exploit Gu Li’s openings, despite suffering hidden internal injuries himself. As the duel shifted in Zhao’s favor, Meng Zhao’s thoughts revealed that the wooden saber, not Zhao’s martial skill, was meant to decide the contest.

• Gu Li used his Heavy Gang Fist Gauntlets to shatter Old Blade Zhao’s saber, then pressed him with powerful fist techniques.
• Old Blade Zhao relied on his speed and experience to avoid direct clashes and turn the duel into a tug-of-war.
• Lu Hou'er asked Meng Zhao about Gu Li’s gauntlets, and Meng Zhao explained that the fighters were not the true deciding factor.
• Lu Hou'er realized Meng Zhao intended the wooden saber to decide the duel and had strengthened Old Blade Zhao to secure his loyalty and gain a foothold in Divine Saber Hall.
• Old Blade Zhao landed several saber strikes on Gu Li, while Gu Li’s three punches left Zhao with internal injuries that he suppressed through his enhanced resilience.