Chapter Summaries

Gu Li unleashed the suppression power hidden in his Heavy Gang Fist Gauntlets, but Old Blade Zhao answered with the wooden saber and a Green Dragon-like Saber Light that shattered the attack. Gu Li then detonated the Black Dagger Pendant as the duel escalated beyond ordinary Innate martial arts.

• Gu Li decided to end the fight and released the power sealed within his Heavy Gang Fist Gauntlets, suppressing Old Blade Zhao and cutting him off from his strength and Heaven and Earth Vital Energy.
• Meng Zhao recognized the gauntlets' power as an imitation of the Way of Suppression, while Lu Hou'er watched anxiously and trusted in Old Blade Zhao's hidden wooden saber.
• Old Blade Zhao drew the wooden saber from his sleeve, breaking Gu Li's suppression and unleashing a towering aura that shook the arena.
• Old Blade Zhao's Green Dragon-like Saber Light tore through the gauntlets' formidable power, astonishing the spectators and prompting complaints that the duel was unfair.
• Gu Li realized Old Blade Zhao had a powerful trump card of his own and detonated the power within the Black Dagger Pendant.

Old Blade Zhao fought Gu Li as Gu Li borrowed the power of Demonic Saber Jingqing, nearly overwhelming the wooden saber. Meng Zhao strengthened the saber, allowing Old Blade Zhao to kill Gu Li and win the duel.

• Gu Li unleashed a black tiger-shaped radiance that stirred the emotions and wills of the spectators as it clashed with Old Blade Zhao's Green Dragon Saber Light.
• Lu Hou'er feared a Great Grandmaster stood behind Gu Li, but Meng Zhao recognized the power as coming from the peerless demonic weapon Demonic Saber Jingqing.
• Meng Zhao sensed that Demonic Nature was corroding the wooden saber's power and secretly infused it with his strength.
• The wooden saber's Green Dragon grew several times larger and swallowed Gu Li's black tiger radiance.
• The Green Dragon Saber Light shattered, Gu Li was reduced to a pool of blood, and Old Blade Zhao stood victorious.

Old Blade Zhao defeated Gu Li in the Life and Death Duel, though the battle’s outcome depended on overwhelming power within his wooden saber rather than his own strength. As the crowd reckoned with the victory, Meng Zhao vanished and Gu Li’s allies realized their plans had failed.

• After Gu Li died, the wooden saber in Old Blade Zhao’s hand crumbled as its power dissipated, and the crowd reacted with shock, relief, and celebration.
• The Xie Family brothers recognized that Old Blade Zhao’s victory had saved many spectators from the Demonic Saber’s influence, but Eldest Brother doubted Zhao could match Meng Zhao’s rise.
• Lu Hou'er congratulated Meng Zhao, who admitted through his embarrassment that he had intervened to help Old Blade Zhao and then vanished unnoticed.
• A Plum Blossom Guard serving Bei Tangsu realized Gu Li’s death had ruined Lord Su’s grounds to interfere with the Tan Family and resolved to report the failure.
• Granny Hua and the veiled woman wondered why Old Blade Zhao had not used the Tan Family’s Cosmic Mirror and speculated that he had gained a powerful opportunity within Divine Saber Hall.

Tan Cai'er and Granny Hua discussed Old Blade Zhao's victory over Gu Li and the Tan Family's precarious position. They then turned to finding Tan Qing, who had disappeared with the Cosmic Mirror.

• Granny Hua concluded that Old Blade Zhao's unexpected methods must have come from Divine Saber Hall and worried that Tan Changming would grieve over Gu Li.
• Tan Cai'er reassured Granny Hua about her grandfather and explained that she had sent Zhu'er to Meng Zhao, who planned to marry her as his principal wife.
• Tan Cai'er reflected on Meng Zhao's suitability and the danger posed by the powerful force behind Gu Li, noting that the Tan Family could retreat to Demon Venerable Hall if necessary.
• Tan Cai'er asked Granny Hua to contact Lu Hou'er and find out what had happened to Tan Qing, who might have taken the Cosmic Mirror and fled.

Meng Zhao confronted the man who had given Gu Li the Black Dagger Pendant and learned that he served the pendant’s owner, Bei Tangsu. After refusing to return it, Meng Zhao knocked the man unconscious so he could question him.

• A black-clad man searched the ruined grand arena for the Black Dagger Pendant he had given Gu Li.
• Meng Zhao revealed that he had the pendant and asked whether it had fueled Gu Li’s terrifying power.
• The man confirmed the pendant’s power came from it and offered rewards for its return to Bei Tangsu.
• Meng Zhao explained that Old Blade Zhao had defeated Gu Li with outside power and questioned why the man wanted the dangerous pendant.
• The man admitted he served the pendant’s owner and realized Meng Zhao had waited for him to learn more about Gu Li’s backer.
• Meng Zhao said he wanted to talk over tea, then caused the man’s head to explode and left him unconscious.

Meng Zhao questioned a Plum Blossom Guard member about Bei Tangsu and the Black Dagger Pendant, while revealing that he had secretly helped Old Blade Zhao defeat Gu Li. The man returned the pendant to Meng Zhao, abandoning any thought of using it to escape.

• The man awoke and realized Meng Zhao had left his body and true qi unrestrained.
• The man asked whether Meng Zhao had helped Old Blade Zhao defeat Gu Li, and Meng Zhao confirmed that he had.
• The man suspected Meng Zhao belonged to the Tan Family and worried that Bei Tangsu's plans against it could bring him into conflict with the Great Emperor's faction.
• Meng Zhao said he had ties to the Tan Family but served no person or force, then tossed the Black Dagger Pendant to the man.
• The man considered using the pendant's power to escape, decided it would be futile, and returned it to Meng Zhao.

Meng Zhao interrogated Gong Huai, an Inner Plum Blossom Guard, about his ties to Bei Tangsu and the plot surrounding the Tan Family. Gong Huai revealed possible conflicts between the Beitang Imperial Clan and Bei Tangsu, and Meng Zhao pressed him on whether Bei Tangsu could seize Yanzhou.

• Meng Zhao questioned Gong Huai after Gong Huai returned the Black Dagger Pendant, warning that he could detect lies.
• Gong Huai identified himself as a native of Yanzhou and an Inner Plum Blossom Guard serving Bei Tangsu, and revealed that Gu Li had also served under him.
• Gong Huai confirmed that Gu Li had a genuine childhood engagement to the Tan Family and suggested that either the imperial clan or Bei Tangsu planned to absorb the family’s power.
• Gong Huai said Bei Tangsu was ambitious, had mastered the Eight Demonic Saber Techniques, and could borrow power from the Divine Saber Hall’s Demonic Saber, Startling Emotion.
• Meng Zhao asked whether Bei Tangsu had the strength and ambition to claim Yanzhou.

Meng Zhao learned that a demonic-path master had helped Bei Tangsu master the Eight Demonic Saber Techniques, then deduced that the word “demon” was key to entering the technique’s secrets. Gong Huai considered selling this knowledge to Divine Saber Hall, but Meng Zhao doubted its senior figures were unaware of it.

• Gong Huai said Bei Tangsu might lack the strength and influence to oppose the Beitang Imperial Clan and scheme against the Tan Family and Yanzhou.
• Gong Huai revealed that Gu Li had heard a demonic-path master secretly guided Bei Tangsu in the Eight Demonic Saber Techniques.
• Meng Zhao reasoned that mastering the technique required joining the demonic path with the Way of the Saber and becoming compatible with Demonic Saber Jingqing.
• Gong Huai considered using the secret to bargain with a major figure in Divine Saber Hall.
• Meng Zhao warned that Divine Saber Hall’s senior figures might already know the secret and have tried to master it.

Meng Zhao learned that Bei Tangsu had mastered the Eight Demonic Saber Techniques through a compatible demonic-path inheritance, making him a formidable rival for Yanzhou. He questioned Gong Huai about Bei Tangsu’s vulnerabilities and how to draw him out of Divine Saber Hall.

• Meng Zhao explained that mastering the Eight Demonic Saber Techniques required a compatible demonic-path inheritance united with one’s own Way of the Saber, and wondered where Bei Tangsu had obtained his.
• Gong Huai realized Meng Zhao’s mysterious power had quietly lowered his guard and inspired complete trust, then concluded Bei Tangsu did not possess that ability.
• Gong Huai reasoned that Bei Tangsu had the strength and backing to contest Yanzhou and the Tan Family’s allegiance, while the Beitang Imperial Clan might have factions supporting him.
• Meng Zhao asked Gong Huai for information about Bei Tangsu’s personal attachments and a way to draw him out of Divine Saber Hall.
• Meng Zhao decided that killing Bei Tangsu was the best way to secure Yanzhou, since Bei Tangsu’s death would cost the Beitang Imperial Clan its current advantages.

Meng Zhao sought a way to assassinate Bei Tangsu, who remained protected inside the Divine Saber Hall, and questioned Gong Huai about his habits and trusted followers. After considering the Tan Family as bait, Meng Zhao realized that the Twelfth Prince Beitang Xing might be able to lure Bei Tangsu out.

• Meng Zhao asked Gong Huai what Bei Tangsu cared about and learned that he rarely left the Divine Saber Hall and devoted himself to saber cultivation.
• Gong Huai explained that Bei Tangsu's trusted followers were loyal dead warriors with little independence, making them poor targets for interrogation or manipulation.
• Gong Huai suggested using the Tan Family to draw Bei Tangsu out because he had sought a marriage alliance with them.
• Meng Zhao pointed out that Bei Tangsu could meet the Tan Family inside the Divine Saber Hall, so the plan might not bring him outside.
• Meng Zhao proposed asking a high-ranking member of the Imperial Clan to visit Bei Tangsu and considered Beitang Xing a promising lure.

Meng Zhao devised a plan to draw Bei Tangsu out of the Divine Saber Hall by leaking information about Beitang Xing’s Imperial Mandate and fortune, then arranged for Gong Huai to carry the Black Dagger Pendant back. The chapter ended with Meng Zhao placing a hidden thread inside Gong Huai to ensure his loyalty.

• Meng Zhao realized he could use news about Beitang Xing to tempt Bei Tangsu into leaving the Divine Saber Hall instead of asking the Twelfth Prince to cooperate.
• Gong Huai confirmed that Bei Tangsu would pursue a chance to seize Beitang Xing’s fortune and Destiny Number.
• Meng Zhao considered making Beitang Xing and Bei Tangsu fight, but recognized he needed Hui Kong’s cooperation and Gong Huai’s help spreading verifiable information.
• Meng Zhao returned the Black Dagger Pendant to Gong Huai and told him to conceal Meng Zhao’s existence when reporting to Bei Tangsu.
• Gong Huai agreed to accept Meng Zhao’s guarantee, and Meng Zhao sent a thread into his body to bind him to Meng Zhao.

Lu Hou'er received two visitors from the Tan Family and worried that they might discover his role in Tan Qing’s death. After meeting them, he realized one was Tan Cai'er, the daughter of the Heavenly Wolf Alliance Leader, and the chapter left him facing a much more intimidating guest than he had expected.

• Lu Hou'er learned that two women from the Tan Family had arrived and feared their visit might expose his betrayal and Tan Qing’s death.
• Lu Hou'er decided to meet the women, ordered his subordinates to bring them to his study, and barred anyone from interrupting.
• Lu Hou'er questioned the visitors about their identities and asked why they had come to see him.
• Granny Hua explained that she had once served Tan Changming and was accompanying the young lady to seek answers about events in Kaiming City.
• Lu Hou'er realized that Tan Cai'er was the daughter of the Heavenly Wolf Alliance Leader, a figure he had long feared.

Tan Cai'er and Granny Hua visited Lu Hou'er to ask about Tan Qing, but Lu Hou'er claimed he had not seen him and recounted the upheaval at Lishou Mountain. After learning that a powerful expert stood behind Lu Hou'er and Old Blade Zhao, they recognized they could not confront him or settle the matter themselves.

• Lu Hou'er recognized Tan Cai'er and hid his wariness as she asked whether he had seen Tan Qing.
• Lu Hou'er claimed Tan Qing might have met with misfortune amid upheaval at Lishou Mountain, then described his experiences there while concealing details about Meng Zhao.
• Lu Hou'er admitted that a mysterious expert had subdued him and taken control of him, leading Tan Cai'er and Granny Hua to regard him as a traitor to the Tan Family.
• Lu Hou'er told Tan Cai'er that the mysterious expert supported Old Blade Zhao, and Tan Cai'er and Granny Hua realized they could not safely challenge the powerful figure from within Lu Family Manor.

Tan Cai'er and Granny Hua stayed at Lu Family Manor, where Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu spotted them. Old Daoist Liu claimed the younger woman might be tied to a heaven-sent opportunity for Beitang Xing, but had not yet explained how.

• Tan Cai'er decided to remain at Lu Family Manor to learn about the Great Grandmaster behind Lu Hou'er, and Granny Hua agreed with her choice.
• Lu Hou'er arranged rooms and necessities for Tan Cai'er and Granny Hua.
• Beitang Xing teased Old Daoist Liu after seeing him stare at the women, but became serious when Liu mentioned a third heaven-sent opportunity.
• Old Daoist Liu said the opportunity concerned the younger woman, Tan Cai'er, and suggested she possessed a Special Physique.
• Beitang Xing questioned how Tan Cai'er's Special Physique could benefit him.

Old Daoist Liu told Beitang Xing that a woman staying at Lu Family Manor had a Phoenix Physique and could help him advance his fortune and cultivation. Beitang Xing resolved to pursue her while keeping Meng Zhao from interfering, and considered using Lu Hou'er to learn her identity.

• Old Daoist Liu explained the Phoenix Physique's benefits and urged Beitang Xing to seize the opportunity.
• Old Daoist Liu warned that Meng Zhao's Dragon Body could complement the woman's Phoenix Physique and threatened Beitang Xing's plans.
• Beitang Xing promised to keep Old Daoist Liu's advice secret and began planning how to pursue the woman.
• Beitang Xing decided to investigate the woman's background and considered asking Beitang Sheng for a marriage decree or taking her as a concubine.
• Beitang Xing wondered whether Lu Hou'er, who had submitted to Meng Zhao under pressure, could help him act without Meng Zhao's knowledge.

Beitang Xing decided to recruit Lu Hou'er to help him escape his predicament, but first he used imperial treasures and a Daoist secret technique to conceal his departure. Monk Huikong sensed a faint disturbance but did not discover Beitang Xing's movements.

• Beitang Xing considered Lu Hou'er a promising ally because of his ambition and the force he commanded.
• Beitang Xing realized Monk Huikong might notice him approaching Lu Hou'er and decided to hide his actions.
• Beitang Xing used his hair, blood, and Life Creation Power from a secret treasure to create a lifelike substitute doll with his own aura.
• Beitang Xing placed the doll beneath the quilt and used another treasure to conceal his aura and plunge the room into darkness.
• Monk Huikong sensed a brief disturbance but returned to cultivation without discovering Beitang Xing's plan.

Beitang Xing secretly entered Lu Hou'er's bedroom and waited for the Pai Gang leader to return, then revealed that he had concealed their meeting from Meng Zhao. Lu Hou'er feared being drawn into the prince's plans, while Beitang Xing prepared to win him over.

• Beitang Xing infiltrated Lu Family Manor, observed trusted guards behaving lewdly and a maidservant stealing, then slipped into Lu Hou'er's empty bedroom.
• Beitang Xing waited in the dark until Lu Hou'er returned from handling Pai Gang affairs and practicing the Demon Subduing Great Incantation.
• Lu Hou'er was startled to find Beitang Xing seated in his room and cautiously asked why the Twelfth Prince had come at night.
• Lu Hou'er worried that Beitang Xing was hiding something from Meng Zhao and a Celestial Being expert, and feared becoming entangled in the prince's schemes.
• Beitang Xing said his secret art and treasure had concealed the meeting from his master, signaling his abilities as he sought to recruit Lu Hou'er.

Beitang Xing secretly approached Lu Hou'er and offered him wealth and status in exchange for serving the imperial clan. Lu Hou'er refused to abandon Meng Zhao, so Beitang Xing proposed that he secretly serve both sides and lean toward him.

• Lu Hou'er realized Beitang Xing had bypassed the surveillance and had come with a private request.
• Beitang Xing offered Lu Hou'er a noble title and lasting prosperity if he served the Beitang Imperial Clan.
• Lu Hou'er refused, explaining that he already served Meng Zhao and could not turn against him.
• Beitang Xing suggested Lu Hou'er secretly serve him alongside Meng Zhao and favor him when choosing between them.

Beitang Xing tried to recruit Lu Hou'er and asked him to help him win over the masked woman, Tan Cai'er. Lu Hou'er refused, and Beitang Xing demanded to know her background.

• Lu Hou'er weighed the dangers of serving both Beitang Xing and Meng Zhao, then asked Beitang Xing to explain what he wanted him to do.
• Beitang Xing agreed not to pressure Lu Hou'er into unwanted tasks if he identified the masked woman and helped him succeed with her.
• Lu Hou'er recognized the woman as Tan Cai'er and refused, offering to find Beitang Xing another woman instead.
• Beitang Xing insisted that he wanted only the masked woman because she possessed a Phoenix Physique, then asked Lu Hou'er to explain her background.

Beitang Xing demanded Lu Hou'er help him get Tan Cai'er, whose Phoenix Physique he hoped to use to regain power, but Lu Hou'er feared the consequences of betraying Meng Zhao and the Tan Family. Lu Hou'er proposed that Beitang Xing try to win Tan Cai'er over himself, leaving Beitang Xing dissatisfied and unsure how to proceed.

• Lu Hou'er explained that Tan Cai'er was Tan Changming's granddaughter and that helping Beitang Xing target her could bring Meng Zhao and the Tan Family down on him.
• Beitang Xing erupted in anger over Meng Zhao repeatedly taking his opportunities, then regained control and assured Lu Hou'er that their conversation could not be overheard.
• Lu Hou'er considered reporting Beitang Xing but feared the Prince, and Beitang Xing offered him a favor and reward if he helped obtain Tan Cai'er.
• Lu Hou'er reluctantly agreed to think of a way, insisting they avoid force, and suggested Beitang Xing try to make Tan Cai'er fall for him.
• Beitang Xing was dissatisfied with the suggestion because he did not know how to seduce a young woman.