Chapter Summaries

Lin Fan learned Houtian Gang Qi and used it to strengthen his defenses while traveling with Wang Yuyao and Zhou Wanqing toward King of Linzi's City. After hearing that King of Linzi's forces were fighting the new emperor with Flowing Cloud Sword Sect support, he left the women at the city gates and departed to avoid the danger.

• Lin Fan spent thirty years of lifespan to advance Houtian Gang Qi to Entry Level, then tested it by shattering a flying sword without injuring his hand.
• After half a month of travel, Lin Fan overheard that King of Linzi had returned to the city and that his heir was leading the Black Armored Army against the new emperor's forces with Flowing Cloud Sword Sect support.
• Lin Fan realized King of Linzi's City would be dangerous for him and formed a plan before the group reached its gates.
• At the city gates, Wang Yuyao identified herself as Princess Anyang and was recognized by An Shi, the heir of King of Linzi.
• An Shi wanted to pursue Lin Fan, but Wang Yuyao asked him not to, so he escorted her and Zhou Wanqing into the city.

In Ask Heaven City, Lin Fan disguised as a bamboo-hatted swordsman rescued Mo Xue from the Black Shark Gang’s ambush. He drove the attackers into retreat, while Mo Xue resolved to recruit him to secure her leadership of the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion.

• After her father’s death, Mo Xue took charge of the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion but faced hostility from within and beyond the sect.
• The Black Shark Gang ambushed Mo Xue in Green Bamboo Forest, and her guard Xiao Yun died trying to protect her.
• Lin Fan appeared in disguise and used his physical strength and martial arts to defeat the Black Shark Gang warriors.
• The gang fired more than a hundred crossbow bolts, but Lin Fan cut many apart with his sword and evaded the rest.
• Lin Fan’s attacks killed or wounded more of the gang, and its leader ordered a retreat.
• Mo Xue decided to recruit Lin Fan, believing his support could secure her position and help her avenge her father.

Lin Fan rescued Mo Xue and used an Infatuation Pill to overcome her attempt to poison him, then offered to help secure her position as head of the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion in exchange for access to its texts and manuals. Mo Xue accepted, and Lin Fan prepared to deal with the elders who opposed her.

• Lin Fan met Mo Xue in Ask Heaven City, intending to gain access to the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion’s ancient texts and martial arts manuals.
• Lin Fan detected poison in the wine Mo Xue offered and forced an Infatuation Pill into her mouth.
• Mo Xue succumbed to the pill’s effects, but Lin Fan did not take advantage of her and waited until she recovered.
• Lin Fan offered to help Mo Xue secure her position as pavilion head in exchange for permission to transcribe the pavilion’s texts and manuals, and she agreed.
• Mo Xue warned Lin Fan that the elders Iron Mask and Madman would oppose him, and Lin Fan said they should be killed if they refused.

Lin Fan helped Mo Xue secure control of the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion, then used its Ancient Scripture Library to earn lifespan by copying books. He advanced his Advanced Demonic Arts and reached the fifth-grade Meridian Condensing Realm, while Mo Xue began investigating her father's death.

• Iron Mask and Madman attacked Mo Xue, but Lin Fan killed both with one sword, and the pavilion's martial artists pledged their loyalty to her.
• Mo Xue opened the Ancient Scripture Library for Lin Fan, who gave his name as Peerless and began copying its books.
• Lin Fan earned lifespan rewards by copying five books, then found the pavilion's martial arts manuals offered little help to him as a cultivator.
• Mo Xue ordered the elders to investigate her father's death and vowed to avenge him and strengthen the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion.
• Lin Fan used seventy years of lifespan to advance Advanced Demonic Arts to Grand Accomplishment, absorbed Spirit Jade energy to form his ninth and tenth strands of Internal Breath, and reached the fifth-grade Meridian Condensing Realm.

Lin Fan perfected the Blood Gathering Art, gaining the ability to conceal his aura and change his appearance. When Mo Xue asked him to protect the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion from Greenwood Hall and the Black Shark Gang, he demanded control of the pavilion, and their encounter ended in dual cultivation.

• Lin Fan spent eighty years of lifespan to perfect the Blood Gathering Art and learned to alter his appearance as well as conceal his aura.
• After another half month copying books, Lin Fan heard from Mo Xue that Greenwood Hall and the Black Shark Gang planned to attack the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion and seize the Ancient Scripture Library.
• Lin Fan agreed to help only if the entire Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion answered to him, and Mo Xue accepted.
• Mo Xue offered herself to Lin Fan under the Infatuation Pill's influence, and they spent the night together, allowing Lin Fan to absorb some of her Yin essence.
• The next morning, Lin Fan studied Master Ruan's talisman insights while Mo Xue slept beside him, then she woke, dressed, and hurried back.

The Black Shark Gang and Greenwood Hall joined forces to attack the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion, but Lin Fan killed their cultivator ally and led the pavilion to victory. Afterward, the pavilion wiped out both rival forces, and Lin Fan studied Blood Demon Talismans before agreeing to advance his Talisman Secret Manual.

• The Black Shark Gang Leader agreed to ally with Greenwood Hall in exchange for a third of the Ancient Scripture Library’s contents, and Immortal Master Xu promised to defeat Lin Fan.
• Three days later, Greenwood Hall and the Black Shark Gang surrounded the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion, where Lin Fan killed Immortal Master Xu with a single sword strike.
• Lin Fan ordered the pavilion’s martial artists to attack, then killed the Black Shark Gang Leader and Greenwood Hall’s bearded leader as their forces were routed.
• Mo Xue led the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion in wiping out Greenwood Hall and the Black Shark Gang, and Lin Fan’s fame as the Hat Swordsman spread through Ask Heaven City.
• Lin Fan studied Master Ruan’s insights on Blood Demon Talismans, then agreed to advance his Talisman Secret Manual by consuming thirty years of lifespan.

Lin Fan mastered the Two-Headed Bird Blood Demonic Rune, crafted a powerful talisman, and continued working with Mo Xue as the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion rose to dominance. When the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect came searching for Blood Demon Sect disciples, Lin Fan concealed his identity, but the later capture and death of another hidden disciple left him more wary.

• Lin Fan used his new insights to draw the Two-Headed Bird Blood Demonic Rune and crafted a talisman with power rivaling a third-grade Spirit Opening Realm demonic beast.
• Lin Fan examined the belongings of a slain cultivator, then accepted Mo Xue’s embrace and spent the night with her after the medicine’s effects had worn off.
• More than half a year later, an envoy of the King of Linzi and a cultivator from the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect questioned Mo Xue about suspicious cultivators and searched the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion’s records.
• The Flowing Cloud Sword Sect cultivator challenged Peerless, and Lin Fan let himself be defeated in one move so the visitors would leave without suspecting him.
• The Flowing Cloud Sword Sect tracked down and killed another Blood Demon Sect disciple hiding in Ask Heaven City, prompting Lin Fan to become more cautious about his identity.

Lin Fan went to a cultivator trading market at Mount Tiancong to obtain talisman supplies, sell stolen weapons, and search for a stronger Blood Demon Sect cultivation method. After completing his trades and changing his disguise, he found an unusually large stall selling cultivation methods and secret manuals.

• Mo Xue told Lin Fan that her investigation had found a trading market at Mount Tiancong, and he later disguised himself as an old wandering cultivator and entered it.
• Lin Fan traded Fire Spirit, Wind Blade, and Golden Thunder Talismans for five bottles of demonic beast blood, then bought talisman materials with silver.
• Lin Fan sold several Flowing Cloud Sword Sect flying swords and other stolen goods to Huang Lao San for two Spirit Jades.
• Lin Fan changed his appearance and aura to avoid being followed, then noticed a stall displaying dozens of cultivation methods and secret manuals.

Lin Fan discovered the market stall owner had marked his Spirit Jade to track him, then ambushed and killed him. He found an enhanced demonic cultivation manual on the corpse but set it aside, while another black-robed man arrived and suspected that Xuan Xie had been killed.

• Lin Fan sensed he was being followed and suspected someone had marked his belongings, while the masked stall owner used an insect to track the scent on his Spirit Jade.
• Lin Fan left the Spirit Jade as a decoy and ambushed the masked stall owner when he came to investigate.
• The masked stall owner used a strange devouring technique, but Lin Fan attacked with his Azure Gavel Sword, Blood Demon Talismans, and a surprise strike that killed him.
• Lin Fan searched the corpse, took five Spirit Jade, and found the Devouring Demonic Art, an enhanced version of the Blood Swallowing Demonic Art that lacked its mutation flaw.
• Lin Fan chose not to cultivate the manual yet and dissolved the corpse with Bone Dissolving Powder.
• A black-robed man arrived, smelled the Bone Dissolving Powder, suspected something had happened to Xuan Xie, and left in anger.

Lin Fan advanced his cultivation by learning the Devouring Demonic Art and ordered Mo Xue to intensify the search for information about the cultivation sects. After testing the art’s power, he began improving his talisman skills as war spread across the eastern territory.

• Lin Fan spent fifty years of lifespan to learn the Devouring Demonic Art, absorbing Killing Intent and advancing to the Meridian Condensing Realm’s Seventh Grade.
• Mo Xue told Lin Fan that King of Linzi’s forces had taken Ask Heaven City and nearby cities, and Lin Fan ordered her to gather more intelligence on the cultivation sects.
• Lin Fan and Mo Xue spent the night together, after which Lin Fan found that his mind had settled and his Internal Breath had grown purer.
• Lin Fan tested the Devouring Demonic Art by pulling a distant book into his hand, then resolved to use the technique sparingly.
• Lin Fan spent fifty years of lifespan to advance the Talisman Secret Manual to Great Mastery.

Lin Fan learned that the Blood Demon Sect had negotiated a ceasefire and decided he had to return, leaving the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion in Mo Xue’s hands. Before he departed, Mo Xue asked him to stay in bed with her for three days.

• Mo Xue’s guard killed a Yun family survivor who attacked her carriage and reported that he was among those who escaped Greenwood Hall’s destruction.
• Lin Fan crafted stronger Two-Headed Bird and Seven-Colored Python Blood Demon Talismans in the Ancient Scripture Library.
• Mo Xue brought Lin Fan reports that King of Linzi’s forces had retaken the eastern region and that the Blood Demon Sect had agreed to stop interfering in Great Jin’s affairs.
• Lin Fan decided he had to return to the Blood Demon Sect, and Mo Xue realized he was connected to it or the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect.
• Lin Fan told Mo Xue to strengthen the Sacred Dragon Book Pavilion and maintain contact with the marketplace, and she asked him to spend three days in bed with her before he left.

Lin Fan returned to the Blood Demon Sect after three years away and reunited with Zhao Wang, while Great Jin’s victorious rulers faced unrest and the defeated emperor fled north seeking help. The chapter left Lin Fan and Zhao Wang assigned to help recruit new disciples.

• Lin Fan left Ask Heaven City and traveled through war-ravaged lands, then hurried toward the Blood Demon Sect.
• King of Linzi allowed the victorious Feudal Princes’ armies to plunder the imperial city and ordered a search for the fleeing Usurper Emperor.
• The Usurper Emperor fled north with his guards, hoping to gain support from the Upper Sects through his maternal clan’s ties to the Ghost King Sect.
• Lin Fan returned to the Blood Demon Sect after checking that it was safe and encountered Zhao Wang, who had reached the third level of the Meridian Condensing Realm.
• Elder Quan of Blood Soul Peak recognized Lin Fan and Zhao Wang and ordered them to help recruit newcomers.

Lin Fan returned to Blackwood Cliff and learned that Wang Zhaofeng was competing to inherit Master Ruan’s legacy, leaving him worried that he might become a target. Master Ruan appeared in Lin Fan’s grotto abode and tested his talisman-making, while Lin Fan deliberately concealed his true ability.

• Master Ruan and his Dao companion discussed his search for an heir and the threat posed by Wang Zhaofeng and his influential father.
• Wang Zhaofeng took over Elder Quan’s group, recognized Lin Fan, and led the group away to capture people for the Blood Demon Sect.
• Lin Fan joined the sect’s brutal recruitment raids, then worried that Master Ruan might be waiting to pass his legacy to him and that Wang Zhaofeng might see him as a rival.
• Zhao Wang warned Lin Fan that Wang Zhaofeng might target him because of his past connection with Master Ruan.
• A lizard carrying Master Ruan’s voice emerged in Lin Fan’s grotto abode, and Master Ruan asked to assess his talisman-making.
• Lin Fan first made a flawed Snow Demon Wolf Talisman, then produced a stronger one while pretending that Master Ruan’s presence had improved his skills.

Lin Fan accepted Master Ruan’s Talisman Secret Manual inheritance, perfected its first half, and created a powerful Moon Raven Blood Demon Talisman. After Wang Zhaofeng made an unwelcome advance toward Sun Shuqin, Lin Fan learned that a powerful new official had been appointed to manage Blackwood Cliff.

• Master Ruan gave Lin Fan the Talisman Secret Manual and named him his student, then vanished as the talisman sustaining his lizard form burned to ash.
• Lin Fan spent sixty years of lifespan to perfect the Talisman Secret Manual and learned to draw the Moon Raven Blood Demonic Rune.
• Master Ruan privately praised Lin Fan, then received Wang Zhaofeng, who propositioned Sun Shuqin before entering the cave residence.
• Lin Fan bought Moon Raven demonic blood at the Market Below the Mountain and crafted a Blood Demon Talisman with power rivaling a sixth-grade Spirit Opening Realm beast.
• Zhao Wang told Lin Fan that the sect master had appointed a powerful new person in charge of Blackwood Cliff, and the two set out to pay their respects.

Lin Fan and Zhao Wang returned to Blackwood Cliff, where Senior Sister Mei established their ranks and revealed she knew Lin Fan had broken sect rules by cultivating a superior technique early. She spared him but demanded that he help Blackwood Cliff produce a Blood Talisman Master, leaving Lin Fan under pressure to prove his worth.

• A disciple and several Formal Disciples confronted Lin Fan and Zhao Wang outside the hall before Senior Sister Mei summoned everyone inside and gave the two men antidote pills.
• Senior Sister Mei made the Formal Disciples compete by copying Rune Patterns, and Lin Fan's work earned him the rank of First Senior Brother while Zhao Wang became Second Senior Brother.
• When the thick-browed disciple objected to the contest, Senior Sister Mei killed him with a single attack and warned the others against opposing her.
• Senior Sister Mei introduced Zheng Cheng, Han Yan, and Shi Shan, then dismissed everyone except Lin Fan.
• Senior Sister Mei revealed that she recognized Lin Fan from the Market Below the Mountain and accused him of breaking sect rules by cultivating a superior technique early.
• Senior Sister Mei agreed to forgive Lin Fan if he helped Blackwood Cliff produce a Blood Talisman Master, and she offered to bend rules for his future cultivation.

Lin Fan took charge of Blackwood Cliff’s Outer Sect affairs and used his new authority to make Han Yan, Zheng Cheng, and Shi Shan promise to treat their chosen cauldrons more carefully. After testing the Menial Disciples, he began choosing one of his own and noticed two young women.

• Han Yan, Zheng Cheng, and Shi Shan apologized to Lin Fan and agreed to give him thirty percent of their Contribution Points.
• Lin Fan inspected the Hidden Scripture Pavilion and tested the Menial Disciples, finding that few had made progress in cultivation.
• Lin Fan taught the Basic Demonic Art to the Menial Disciples with suitable aptitude.
• Lin Fan warned Han Yan, Zheng Cheng, and Shi Shan not to drain their chosen cauldrons dry, or they would lose access to the next distribution for six months.
• Han Yan, Zheng Cheng, and Shi Shan each chose a cauldron, and Lin Fan told them to choose one for Zhao Wang as well.
• Lin Fan began looking for a newcomer to choose as his own cauldron and noticed a pair of young women.

Lin Fan advanced the Devouring Demonic Art while copying Rune Patterns in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, and discovered that the disguised miss and maid were actually the Empress of Great Jin and her attendant. He left them unaware that he had overheard their plan to escape the Blood Demon Sect and return to Great Wei.

• Lin Fan let Qiqi and her mistress go after testing their willingness to protect each other, and they returned to the Hidden Scripture Pavilion.
• Wang Zhaofeng tortured Sun Shuqin for information about Master Ruan's true inheritance, then vowed to search Blood Soul Peak for its recipient.
• Lin Fan copied Rune Patterns to gain lifespan and used it to advance the Devouring Demonic Art to mastery, reaching Grade Eight of the Meridian Condensing Realm.
• Lin Fan noticed that the two women kept apart from other Menial Disciples and later saw the disguised miss defending their room from the Blood Mist.
• The maid revealed that she was the Empress of Great Jin and discussed the fallen city, the Emperor's appeal to the Ghost King Sect, and their plan to escape to Great Wei.
• Lin Fan overheard the women from the roof and recognized the Empress, considering how he might learn about events beyond the sect.

Lin Fan advanced the Talisman Secret Method, created a Moon Raven Avatar Blood Demon Talisman, and learned that Blood Talisman Masters connected to Master Ruan had been attacked. After Wang Zhaofeng lured him to Demon Calling Valley and tried to search his soul, Lin Fan killed him and left the valley.

• Lin Fan spent seventy years of lifespan to advance the Talisman Secret Manual and drew a Vajra Demonic Ape Blood Demonic Rune.
• Lin Fan failed twice before creating a Moon Raven Avatar Blood Demon Talisman, which let him scout through the raven's senses.
• Zhao Wang told Lin Fan that two Blood Talisman Masters who had recently met Master Ruan had been attacked and left mentally broken.
• A masked disciple summoned Lin Fan to Demon Calling Valley in Mei Zhuang's name, so Lin Fan sent a Moon Raven ahead to inspect the area before entering.
• Wang Zhaofeng exposed himself as Mei Zhuang's impostor and attacked Lin Fan, demanding a soul search for Master Ruan's inheritance.
• Lin Fan devoured Wang Zhaofeng's attack, killed him with the Azure Gavel Sword, destroyed his corpse, and left Demon Calling Valley.

Lin Fan concealed Wang Zhaofeng’s death, found a new cultivation manual, and became a Blood Talisman Master under Mei Zhuang’s protection. As Wang Hai investigated his son’s death and took Sun Shuqin from Master Ruan, Lin Fan led the young woman and her maid away from the Hidden Scripture Pavilion.

• Lin Fan returned to his cave abode with Wang Zhaofeng’s belongings, kept the Blood Demon Soul Refining Chapter, and destroyed the other items.
• Worried that the sect’s investigation could expose him, Lin Fan decided to become a Blood Talisman Master and presented a Snow Demon Wolf Talisman to Mei Zhuang.
• Mei Zhuang accepted Lin Fan as her subordinate and gave him several hundred Contribution Points.
• After Wang Zhaofeng’s death was confirmed, Wang Hai surrounded Master Ruan’s residence and took Sun Shuqin despite Master Ruan’s plea to spare her.
• At the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, Lin Fan told the young woman and the maid in green to follow him, and they went with him.

Lin Fan brought Gao Ya and Gao Qi to his cave abode, where he subdued them and discovered that Gao Ya was the Empress of Great Jin. As Gao Ya reluctantly agreed to tell him what she knew, Lin Fan learned that the Usurper Emperor had gone north to seek aid from the Ghost King Sect.

• Han Yan, Zheng Cheng, and Shi Shan watched Lin Fan leave with the two women, and Zheng Cheng and Shi Shan recorded their conversation to curry favor with him.
• Mei Zhuang met the hidden Peak Master of Blood Soul Peak, who ordered Elder Wang’s death to strengthen her control and asked about Lin Fan and Master Ruan’s legacy.
• Lin Fan stopped Gao Ya and Gao Qi when they attacked him in his cave abode, gave them Infatuation Pills, and exposed Gao Ya’s disguise as the Empress of Great Jin.
• Gao Ya and Gao Qi revealed that Gao Ya was also a princess of Great Wei and explained how the Blood Demon Sect had taken them after the imperial city fell.
• Lin Fan asked where the Usurper Emperor had gone, and Gao Qi said he had traveled north to seek aid from the Ghost King Sect.
• Lin Fan confronted Gao Ya until she gave in and agreed to tell him what she knew.