Chapter Summaries

Beitang Xing decided to pursue Tan Cai'er’s Phoenix Physique rather than rely on the Sky Shuttle, while Old Daoist Liu woke from Meng Zhao’s ambush and chose not to warn Beitang Xing. Beitang Xing then summoned Tan Cai'er and told her their planned outing would not happen, leaving her to wonder what had changed.

• Beitang Xing decided that gaining Tan Cai'er’s lasting strength was more valuable than spending the Sky Shuttle, but he kept his decision from Old Daoist Liu.
• Meng Zhao ambushed Old Daoist Liu, who later woke in his room and concluded the attack had been a warning about Beitang Xing’s actions.
• Old Daoist Liu realized Meng Zhao might know about Tan Cai'er’s Phoenix Physique and chose not to warn Beitang Xing, fearing Meng Zhao’s response.
• Beitang Xing made his decision and summoned Tan Cai'er to the lotus pond in the rear residence of Lu Family Manor.
• Beitang Xing told Tan Cai'er that he could not take her to the Aunt Hong Festival outing, and she feigned disappointment as she asked why.

Beitang Xing tried to persuade Tan Cai'er to leave Lu Family Manor and travel with him to Imperial Capital City so he could seek a marriage decree. Tan Cai'er feigned affection and hesitation while keeping him under control, and Beitang Xing left believing she would eventually agree.

• Beitang Xing claimed that Meng Zhao might target Tan Cai'er and urged her to leave Lu Family Manor for Su Xian Temple.
• Tan Cai'er questioned why Beitang Xing feared Meng Zhao if his master Monk Huikong was a Celestial powerhouse.
• Beitang Xing proposed taking Tan Cai'er to Imperial Capital City and asking Imperial Father for a marriage decree, while rejecting her suggestion to visit her family.
• Tan Cai'er pretended that her mother and grandfather would not allow her to leave Yanzhou and that she could not marry without their permission.
• Tan Cai'er professed feelings for Beitang Xing but refused his attempt to take her hand, saying he must wait until they were married.
• Beitang Xing promised to make Tan Cai'er his princess consort and finally believed he had persuaded her.

Beitang Xing escaped Lu Family Manor with the Sky Shuttle and met Tan Cai'er at Su Xian Temple, where they prepared to flee together. He noticed that Tan Cai'er seemed different from before but dismissed his suspicions as they set out for Imperial Capital City.

• Tan Cai'er left Lu Family Manor, and Beitang Xing told Lu Hou'er their deal was complete and that he would reward him with the Heaven-Piercing Pill.
• Beitang Xing spent five days planning his escape and rendezvous with Tan Cai'er while Monk Huikong remained occupied with his own pursuits.
• Beitang Xing used the Sky Shuttle to escape Lu Family Manor, and Lu Hou'er later found the room empty and removed the False Form Art medium.
• Tan Cai'er waited at Su Xian Temple outside Anning City until Beitang Xing arrived, exhausted from the spatial journey.
• Tan Cai'er complained that Beitang Xing had kept her waiting, and he teased her about eloping together before deciding her changed manner was nothing to worry about.

Beitang Xing and Tan Cai'er traveled toward a dock, but after she drugged him with Drunken Stupor, she revealed that she intended to kill him in Yanzhou. Beitang Xing concealed that his body was beginning to expel the drug as he confronted her.

• Beitang Xing and Tan Cai'er set off through the mountains toward a dock, and Tan Cai'er asked him about secrets of the imperial clan.
• After Tan Cai'er complained of being tired, the pair rested in a ruined temple, where she offered Beitang Xing Hundred Flower Cake.
• Beitang Xing ate the cake and soon lost his strength and ability to use Ziwei True Qi.
• Tan Cai'er told Beitang Xing she had mixed Drunken Stupor into the cake and wanted to see how the Beitang Imperial Clan would react if he died in Yanzhou.
• Beitang Xing protested that he had wanted to marry Tan Cai'er, while she accused him of pursuing her for her Phoenix Physique.
• Beitang Xing secretly began expelling the drug with his dantian's violet glow and regretted underestimating Tan Cai'er.

Tan Cai'er rejected Beitang Xing’s offer and fought him in the ruined temple, revealing martial skill that surpassed his expectations. When she pressed her advantage with a freezing palm strike, Beitang Xing summoned the Three Treasures Exquisite Creation Pagoda to defend himself.

• Beitang Xing offered Tan Cai'er marriage and riches while secretly planning to seize her Crimson Pill and Phoenix Physique’s Pure Yin Qi.
• Tan Cai'er attacked Beitang Xing with a fire serpent, and he countered with his Grappling Hand despite his weakened condition.
• Tan Cai'er broke Beitang Xing’s technique and evaded his blood arrow, which shattered a stone platform in the ruined temple.
• Beitang Xing was shocked by Tan Cai'er's combat ability, and she warned that she would not let him recover from the poison.
• Tan Cai'er struck Beitang Xing with a freezing palm, and he activated the Three Treasures Exquisite Creation Pagoda to shield himself.

Beitang Xing believed the Three Treasures Exquisite Creation Pagoda would protect him from Tan Cai'er, but she outmaneuvered him and left him badly wounded. Realizing she knew about his treasure, he concluded that Old Daoist Liu had betrayed him and began suspecting his brothers or the imperial harem.

• Tan Cai'er struck the Three Treasures Exquisite Creation Pagoda's protection and appeared to injure her hand, while Beitang Xing expelled the poison from his body.
• Beitang Xing attacked Tan Cai'er with his recovered strength and Zen Sound technique, but she defeated him with an icy palm strike.
• Beitang Xing accused Tan Cai'er of deceiving him when he saw her unharmed, and she identified the pagoda as a projection of a treasure's True Essence.
• Beitang Xing realized Old Daoist Liu must have revealed his secrets and suspected the man had engineered the separation of his two treasures.
• Beitang Xing wondered whether one of his brothers or a powerful figure in the imperial harem had arranged to kill him.

Beitang Xing fought Tan Cai'er in the ruined temple, but their clash exposed a disturbing secret about her body. Tan Cai'er transformed into someone identical to Beitang Xing and claimed to be the real twelfth prince, leaving him terrified and confused.

• Beitang Xing sealed his qi meridians, used the Three Treasures Exquisite Creation Pagoda to dispel the Cold Meridian Palm force, and attacked Tan Cai'er with a wind-and-thunder strike.
• Tan Cai'er countered with a lethal claw attack, and the Three Treasures Exquisite Creation Pagoda's defense protected Beitang Xing as their strikes landed.
• Beitang Xing realized Tan Cai'er's chest was unnaturally hard and demanded to know who she was and whether she was male or female.
• Tan Cai'er laughed and transformed from a young woman into a man who looked and sounded almost exactly like Beitang Xing.
• The transformed man claimed to be Beitang Xing, the twelfth son of Emperor Beitang Sheng, and ordered Beitang Xing to kneel.

Meng Zhao revealed himself to Beitang Xing after impersonating Tan Cai’er and the Twelfth Prince, intending to kill him and take his memories. Beitang Xing recognized Meng Zhao’s scheme and pleaded for his life, but Meng Zhao’s motives remained only partly revealed.

• Beitang Xing realized Meng Zhao’s flawless disguises explained the strange differences he had noticed in Tan Cai’er.
• Meng Zhao threatened to kill Beitang Xing and use the Heart Devouring Great Technique to take his memories, then impersonate him permanently.
• Beitang Xing pieced together clues and identified Meng Zhao as the mastermind behind the plot involving Lu Hou'er, Tan Cai'er, Old Daoist Liu, and Monk Huikong.
• Beitang Xing wondered whether Meng Zhao had targeted him because of Tan Cai’er, and Meng Zhao said she was only one factor.
• Meng Zhao transformed back into his true appearance and changed into green robes, while Beitang Xing denounced him as a traitor and pleaded for his life.

Meng Zhao confronted Beitang Xing and warned him that Beitang Sheng intended to exploit his Imperial Mandate and Qi for his own advancement. Beitang Xing accepted that returning to Imperial Capital City could mean walking into a trap, and considered hiding away to cultivate if he escaped.

• Meng Zhao dismissed Beitang Xing’s threat to expose him, arguing that the Sky Shuttle and Three Treasures Exquisite Creation Pagoda might not be enough to help him escape.
• Beitang Xing realized Meng Zhao had learned about his secret Trump Cards from Daoist Liu.
• Meng Zhao claimed Beitang Sheng had raised Beitang Xing as a furnace vessel whose Imperial Mandate and Qi he planned to seize.
• Beitang Xing recognized that Meng Zhao wanted to deter him from returning to Imperial Capital City if he escaped.
• Beitang Xing reconsidered his plan to retaliate against Meng Zhao and considered cultivating in seclusion instead.

Beitang Xing revealed that he carried the forbidden Son of Heaven Sword Technique, but Meng Zhao welcomed the chance to face it rather than back down. Meng Zhao struck first, and Beitang Xing’s Three Treasures Exquisite Creation Pagoda blocked the attack but was used up, leaving the prince exposed.

• Beitang Xing told Meng Zhao that his bloodline sealed the Son of Heaven Sword Technique, a deadly ability that could cost him his imperial bloodline and half his life.
• Beitang Xing explained that only the Great Emperor could provide the Imperial Dragon Qi and National Destiny needed to forge the ability.
• Meng Zhao, eager to witness the legendary sword technique, asked Beitang Xing to unleash it despite the risk of a fight to the death.
• Meng Zhao flicked a powerful finger toward Beitang Xing’s brow, leaving the prince unable to react or resist.
• Beitang Xing instinctively activated the Three Treasures Exquisite Creation Pagoda, which blocked Meng Zhao’s strike but exhausted its final defensive use.

Meng Zhao forced Beitang Xing to unleash the Son of Heaven Sword Technique, then glimpsed the power of Heaven’s Dao and gained hints about transcendence. The Imperial Dynasty’s National Destiny and Imperial Dragon Qi gathered into Beitang Xing, and the sword technique’s power began to build.

• Meng Zhao told Beitang Xing that using the Son of Heaven Sword Technique was his only chance to survive, and Beitang Xing angrily accepted the challenge.
• Beitang Xing cut open a slender wound between his brows, revealing a luminous web of golden-red swords.
• Meng Zhao studied the sword web and glimpsed Heaven’s Dao, the net of destiny, and hints about the price of transcending it.
• The Imperial Dynasty’s National Destiny and Imperial Dragon Qi formed an Azure Dragon and poured into Beitang Xing as the Son of Heaven Sword Technique gathered power.

Beitang Xing awakened the Bloodline Forbidden Divine Ability of the Son of Heaven Sword Technique and overwhelmed Meng Zhao with its Sword Intent. Meng Zhao escaped the sword hum’s suppression with help from the Sheji Cauldron and Hidden Dragon Vein, then glimpsed a mystery of the technique before his spirit dimmed.

• Beitang Xing’s Imperial Dragon Qi and Imperial National Destiny empowered his Son of Heaven Sword Technique, causing Meng Zhao to recognize its terrifying might.
• Beitang Xing released the technique’s Sword Intent, immobilizing Meng Zhao and suppressing his Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
• The Hidden Dragon Vein and Sheji Cauldron within Meng Zhao answered his peril with a dragon roar that broke the sword hum’s seal.
• Meng Zhao reflected on his protective treasures and realized how close the technique had brought him to death.
• Meng Zhao’s mind raced, and he glimpsed a mystery of the Son of Heaven Sword Technique before his spirit dimmed.

Meng Zhao failed to grasp the Son of Heaven Sword Technique directly, so he drew on his Dragon Dao and understanding of the Heavenly Dao to create a new battle art and activate the Emperor Yu Battle Armor. Beitang Xing unleashed the sword technique’s Xuanyuan-shaped strike, which froze the space, time, and powers around Meng Zhao.

• Meng Zhao abandoned his attempt to deduce the Son of Heaven Sword Technique and created a distinct battle art from his Dragon Dao and Heavenly Dao foundation.
• Meng Zhao fully activated the Emperor Yu Battle Armor, covering himself in bone armor and an Azure Dragon Soul.
• Beitang Xing recognized the armor as one of Emperor Yu’s Five Armors but continued the attack because his bloodline’s forbidden divine ability could not be stopped.
• Beitang Xing transformed the sword net between his brows into a sword light resembling the Xuanyuan Divine Sword.
• The sword light froze the space and time around Meng Zhao, along with the energies and rules of heaven and earth.

Beitang Xing’s Son of Heaven Sword Technique subjected Meng Zhao to the Five Decays of Heavenly Beings, but Meng Zhao countered it with a martial art he had derived from the Heavenly Dao. The two powers contended, restoring time and space and reversing Meng Zhao’s decay, though the struggle remained unresolved.

• Beitang Xing’s Son of Heaven Sword Technique froze time and space and inflicted four signs of the Five Decays on Meng Zhao, while the Emperor Yu Battle Armor delayed the fifth.
• Meng Zhao considered using the Heaven-Illuminating Divine Mirror but chose to counter the technique with his own Heavenly Dao-based martial art.
• Meng Zhao formed a purple seal bearing the words “vault of heaven” and set it against Beitang Xing’s Son of Heaven Sword Light.
• The sword light and purple seal faded against each other, restoring the flow of time and space around Meng Zhao.
• Meng Zhao’s clothes, body, and vitality returned to normal as the Five Decays receded, leaving him with new insight into the technique.

Meng Zhao drained Beitang Xing of his martial arts, vitality, and imperial fate, then explained that he sought only a path to transcendence. The chapter ended with Meng Zhao offering Beitang Xing a choice about his fate, while Beitang Xing stopped himself from asking for help for his younger sister.

• Meng Zhao overwhelmed Beitang Xing and used a devouring technique to absorb his true qi, Essence, Qi, Spirit, spiritual force, imperial fate, and imperial qi.
• Violet qi poured down from the heavens into Meng Zhao, and his suppressed natal Ziwei Star blazed with unprecedented brilliance.
• Beitang Xing was left skeletal and near death, but retained enough strength and clarity to recognize Meng Zhao's demonic martial arts.
• Meng Zhao resumed Beitang Xing's appearance and said he cared neither about righteousness nor evil, only transcendence.
• Beitang Xing guessed Meng Zhao spared him because he feared a hidden method left by the Emperor, and Meng Zhao offered him a chance to choose his fate.
• Beitang Xing considered asking Meng Zhao to help his younger sister, but laughed at himself and held back the request.

After Beitang Xing killed himself, Beitang Sheng’s hidden power awakened and transformed his body into a purple eye that confronted Meng Zhao. Disguised as Beitang Xing, Meng Zhao accused the eye of plotting against him and faced its attack while probing Beitang Sheng’s strength.

• Beitang Xing remembered learning his first palm technique and used it to shatter his own skull, ending the life Meng Zhao had preserved.
• A force awakened in Beitang Xing’s corpse, smelted his flesh into a purple eye, and declared that someone had killed its child.
• The purple eye noticed Meng Zhao and questioned how Beitang Xing was still alive despite the absence of his Imperial Mandate and Qi.
• Meng Zhao, wearing Beitang Xing’s appearance, accused Beitang Sheng of planting a hidden scheme inside his own son.
• The purple eye condemned Beitang Xing and released a spreading purple halo toward Meng Zhao.

Meng Zhao neutralized Beitang Sheng’s Purple Eye and watched it self-destruct before he could capture its divine sense. He reflected on his gains from the battle and prepared to face Bei Tangsu, a more dangerous and uncertain opponent.

• Meng Zhao used the Qiong Tian Seal to dissolve the Purple Eye’s attack, then tried to seize it with a great hand seal.
• The Purple Eye accused Beitang Xing of secretly learning the Son of Heaven Sword Technique and attaining Great Grandmaster cultivation, then self-destructed to escape Meng Zhao’s grasp.
• Meng Zhao cleared the temple ruins and regretted losing the chance to use the Mind-Reading Great Law on Beitang Sheng’s divine sense and Beitang Xing’s corpse.
• Meng Zhao recognized the Qiong Tian Seal as a major gain and considered using it alongside the True Dragon Profound Dao in future battles.
• Meng Zhao turned his attention to Bei Tangsu, wary of his stronger martial arts, Demonic Saber Jingqing, and the unknown demonic overlord behind him.

Meng Zhao returned to Lu Family Manor after killing Beitang Xing, then explained how the plot had unfolded and why the Emperor would not discover his role. He left the others relieved but uncertain about what to do with Old Daoist Liu.

• Meng Zhao reassured Tan Cai'er and Lu Hou'er that Beitang Xing was dead and could not return to Imperial Capital City.
• Meng Zhao recounted how Beitang Xing had tried to flee with Tan Cai'er using the Sky Shuttle, and how Meng Zhao had impersonated her to foil him.
• Meng Zhao explained that the Son of Heaven Sword Technique could kill even powerful experts, though someone with the right treasures or abilities might survive it.
• Meng Zhao told Tan Cai'er that Beitang Sheng would believe Beitang Xing had concealed his true nature, leaving Meng Zhao and his allies unsuspected.
• Lu Hou'er asked how they should handle Old Daoist Liu, and Meng Zhao hesitated over whether to kill him or risk keeping him alive.

Meng Zhao weighed whether to spare Old Daoist Liu, but Tan Cai'er warned that Liu's ties to Beitang Sheng made him a dangerous liability. Meng Zhao decided Liu had to die, while Liu sensed a fatal calamity approaching and drank himself to sleep.

• Tan Cai'er argued that Beitang Sheng could use Old Daoist Liu to uncover what happened to Beitang Xing, making Liu too dangerous to keep alive.
• Meng Zhao reconsidered Liu's usefulness and resolved to eliminate him rather than risk the threat he posed.
• Lu Hou'er feared Meng Zhao might silence him too, then felt relieved when Meng Zhao and Tan Cai'er discussed only Liu's fate.
• Old Daoist Liu sensed that a lethal calamity was coming and identified Meng Zhao as the only person in Lu Family Manor who could threaten him.
• Old Daoist Liu accepted his fate, drained his wine jug, and fell asleep.

After killing Beitang Xing, Meng Zhao explained his arrangements to Monk Huikong and secured his help in pursuing peace with the Pudu Cult. They agreed that Huikong would go to Lingwu City to capture Zhou Wangqiao, while Meng Zhao remained in Yanzhou to handle other affairs.

• Meng Zhao arranged Old Daoist Liu's cremation and an unmarked grave, then told Monk Huikong that Beitang Xing's death had been concealed from Beitang Sheng.
• Meng Zhao reassured Monk Huikong that Beitang Sheng would believe Beitang Xing had escaped on his own, leaving their peace negotiations with the Pudu Cult viable.
• Meng Zhao gave Huikong a letter for Liang Muqiu and Zhou Wangqiao's hiding place, asking him not to harm the women Zhou was guarding at Meng Family Manor.
• Monk Huikong agreed to capture Zhou Wangqiao and later introduce Meng Zhao to the Pudu Cult, and the two discussed martial arts after reaching a preliminary agreement.