Recaps

After the Great Qian Imperial Family fell, factions across the realm rushed to position themselves in Tian Province while wondering whether Flowing Cloud Sect and Star Moon Sect would turn against each other. The Grandmaster elders of both Sects gathered in Sky City with Haotian Sect’s imprisoned Grandmasters as their joint meeting to decide how to govern the realm was about to begin.

• Major factions sent spies to assess the relationship and strength of Flowing Cloud Sect and Star Moon Sect, while White Saint Society and Lotus Sect sought to strengthen their ties with them.
• Zheng Xueyi convened the Zheng Family to discuss returning to Tian Province, and Wang Family prepared to enter Tian Province after receiving Wang Dali’s secret letter.
• Ye Family, Li Family, and Liu Family sent people toward Tian Province, while Xiahou Yi chose not to involve Sun Moon Sect further.
• Tian Province descended into chaos as factions moved in, while Ghost School’s remnants stayed hidden from Dao Sect’s hunt.
• The Grandmaster elders of Flowing Cloud Sect and Star Moon Sect arrived in Sky City with Haotian Sect’s imprisoned Grandmasters, preparing to decide how the realm would be governed.

Flowing Cloud Sect and Star Moon Sect convened to review the turmoil in Sky City and decide how to handle Haotian Sect after its defeat. The sect masters agreed to keep Haotian’s Grandmasters under house arrest and proposed demoting its disciples, with former True Inheritors barred from the Star Cloud Saint Art.

• Jiang Liu attended the conference after recovering from his injuries, and Tang Wanyu and the other senior sisters expressed concern for him.
• Flowing Cloud Matriarch and Gongsun Haoyue opened the conference, and Nangong Yun and Yuchi Yue reported on the situation in Sky City.
• The sect leaders heard that Haotian Sect’s Grandmasters had mostly surrendered, while three had escaped and five elderly Grandmasters had been left undisturbed.
• Gongsun Haoyue proposed placing Haotian Sect’s Grandmasters under separate house arrest and holding their Haotian Art in custody; Flowing Cloud Matriarch agreed.
• Gongsun Haoyue recommended demoting Haotian Sect’s ordinary disciples and treating its True Inheritor Disciples as Core Disciples until they passed reexamination, barring them from the Star Cloud Saint Art.

Flowing Cloud Matriarch and Gongsun Haoyue settled the fate of the defeated Haotian Sect disciples and led a debate over how to govern the world. The conference ended with the elders choosing to rule directly, following the model used in Qian Province.

• Gongsun Haoyue proposed dispersing Haotian Sect disciples among the Flowing Cloud Sect and Star Moon Sect, and Flowing Cloud Matriarch agreed.
• Flowing Cloud Matriarch ordered a Jianghu decree demanding that Jiang Lan appear within a month or his family would die.
• Gongsun Haoyue opened discussion on how to govern the world, and the elders debated direct sect rule versus appointing another force.
• Flowing Cloud Matriarch and Gongsun Haoyue considered Jiang Liu's Yun Province model but did not present it to the elders.
• Most elders supported governing the territory themselves, and Flowing Cloud Matriarch approved following the Qian Province model.

The Flowing Cloud Sect and Star Moon Sect agreed to govern the realm jointly, move the central imperial city back to Qian City, and establish a joint Hall of Governmental Affairs. They arranged deployments across eleven provinces while leaving Yun Province and Xun Province under their current arrangements, then turned to discussing rewards for the forces that joined the battle.

• Nangong Yun proposed moving the central imperial city from Tian Province back to Qian City, and the Flowing Cloud Matriarch agreed.
• Gongsun Haoyue asked whether the sects should divide the provinces or govern jointly, and the elders favored joint rule to prevent division and rivalry.
• Gongsun Haoyue and the Flowing Cloud Matriarch agreed to establish a joint Hall of Governmental Affairs staffed by both sects.
• The elders discussed the vast number of people needed to govern cities across the realm, and Jiang Liu considered the risks of direct administration.
• When the elders reached Yun Province and Xun Province, Gongsun Haoyue and the Flowing Cloud Matriarch agreed to leave them as they were, and the elders arranged deployments for the other eleven provinces.
• The meeting ended its initial personnel planning and moved on to discuss rewards for the forces that had participated in the battle.

Flowing Cloud Sect and Star Moon Sect ended their conference on governing the conquered provinces, while Jiang Liu was allowed to retain control of Yun Province and Xun Province. Afterward, Tang Wanyu invited Jiang Liu and several Flowing Cloud Sect senior sisters to explore Sky City and dine together.

• Flowing Cloud Matriarch and Gongsun Haoyue ended the joint conference after a day of discussion, leaving the details for elders to negotiate.
• Tang Wanyu invited Jiang Liu to dine in Sky City, and several senior sisters joined them after Chen Xiaoyun teased her.
• Qiao Jiao led the group through Sky City’s busy streets to the restaurant called Number One Inn Under Heaven.
• Jiang Liu and the Flowing Cloud Sect disciples entered the restaurant and went to its top floor while other guests recognized their status.

Jiang Liu and the Flowing Cloud Sect disciples settled into a tavern while Flowing Cloud Matriarch and Gongsun Haoyue opened the Great Qian Imperial Family's hidden treasury. As they discussed uniting their Sects through marriage, Flowing Cloud Matriarch teased Gongsun Haoyue by suggesting she marry Jiang Liu, then fled before Gongsun Haoyue could confront her.

• Jiang Liu stopped Qiao Jiao from ordering all of the tavern's Number One Brew and asked the shopkeeper to bring two jars first.
• Tian Ling and Gong Mo opened the hidden chamber, and Flowing Cloud Matriarch and Gongsun Haoyue entered to inspect its many treasures.
• Flowing Cloud Matriarch asked Tian Ling to arrange an inventory, while Nangong Yun and Yuchi Yue arrived with disciples from the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall to count the valuables.
• Flowing Cloud Matriarch and Gongsun Haoyue discussed easing friction between their Sects and agreed that marriage could strengthen their alliance, with Jiang Liu as the best candidate.
• Flowing Cloud Matriarch suggested Gongsun Haoyue marry Jiang Liu, then fled as Gongsun Haoyue stood stunned and furious.

Jiang Liu took his twelve drunken senior sisters back to the Flowing Cloud Sect residence, where Tang Wanyu tried to draw him close while pretending to be asleep. He left without staying, and Qiao Jiao reassured Tang Wanyu that he had only been trying not to take advantage of her, leaving her hopeful for another chance.

• Jiang Liu sent for carriages and carried his twelve drunken senior sisters to the Flowing Cloud Sect residence.
• The senior sisters climbed out of the carriages, but Jiang Liu had to carry the still-sleeping Tang Wanyu to her room.
• Tang Wanyu pulled Jiang Liu onto the bed and pinned him, but Jiang Liu lifted her away with vital energy and left after she pretended to wake up.
• A guard disciple misunderstood Jiang Liu's request to collect the carriage fare as an invitation, then called him a blockhead when he sent her away.
• Qiao Jiao told Tang Wanyu that Jiang Liu had not stayed because he did not want to take advantage of her, and Tang Wanyu regained hope.

Flowing Cloud Matriarch sent the True Inheritor Disciples to inspect the provinces and gain experience, then allowed them to choose rewards from the Great Qian Imperial Family’s treasury. After selecting three enchanted accessories, Jiang Liu discovered he had no inspection assignment, while Tang Wanyu was sent to Tian Province.

• Flowing Cloud Matriarch announced the provincial inspections, reminded the disciples to keep cultivating, and allowed Jiang Liu to take three items from the treasury.
• Qiao Jiao offered to let Jiang Liu choose first, and the True Inheritor Disciples traveled to the imperial city to claim their rewards.
• Nangong Yun and Yuchi Yue opened the treasury for both sects’ disciples, who browsed the inventory and chose items.
• Jiang Liu selected a color-changing metal garment, a belt, and a hairpin, while Tang Wanyu noticed that his choices were for women.
• Jiang Liu found that he had no inspection assignment because he already supervised two provinces, while Tang Wanyu was assigned to Tian Province.

After the Flowing Cloud Sect and Star Moon Sect decided to govern the world themselves, Zheng Xueyi and other forces reckoned with losing their ambitions and territory. Jiang Liu recovered in Tian Province, said goodbye to his senior sisters, and left for Cloud Province, where he remained concerned about Blood Demon Island.

• Qi Shengyuan hurried back toward Feng Province after learning the two sects would govern the world themselves, while Zheng Xueyi felt frustrated that his efforts in Dui Province would have to be surrendered.
• Zheng Yunxiu confirmed to Zheng Xueyi that her sect would govern the world and warned her family to be careful, but she refused to go with him to Dui Province.
• After his injuries healed, Jiang Liu received permission from Flowing Cloud Matriarch to return to Cloud Province and said goodbye to Tang Wanyu and his other senior sisters.
• Jiang Liu left Sky City on the Fire-Winged Monkey, flying toward Cloud Province while wondering whether anything had happened on Blood Demon Island.

Jiang Liu traveled to the Mystic Gate’s mountain village and persuaded its members to relocate to Cloud City. After leading them across the mountains into Xia County, he flew ahead to Cloud City, where new courtyards had been built beside his mansion for them.

• Jiang Liu arrived at the Mystic Gate village, where Xuan Yi and the leaders of its four branches welcomed him.
• Xuan Yi, Xuan Liu, Xuan Tan, Xuan Fen, and Xuan Su agreed to relocate with the Mystic Gate to Cloud City.
• Jiang Liu and the Mystic Gate set out the next morning, and he persuaded the villagers to leave unnecessary belongings behind.
• Jiang Liu led the group through the mountains into Xia County, where he arranged for flying exotic beasts to carry them toward Cloud City.
• Jiang Liu flew ahead on the Fire-Winged Monkey and saw that several rows of new courtyards had been built beside his mansion.

Jiang Liu returned to his courtyard and reunited with Murong Yin and Feng Yue, discussing the unrest in Jianghu and the search for Wei Jin and Blood Demon Island. He gave protective gifts to the women and his attendants, and the chapter ended with the Mystic Gate arriving in Cloud City the next day.

• Jiang Liu reunited with Murong Yin, Feng Yue, and Murong Lie, who asked whether Wei Jin had been caught.
• Jiang Liu learned that Blood Demon Island remained unlocated, while the Listening Wind Pavilion continued gathering intelligence through Piao Han.
• Murong Yin and Feng Yue told Jiang Liu that remnants of the Haotian Sect and Great Qian Imperial Family had been targeting people connected to their sects.
• Jiang Liu gave Cuier and Xiao He Water Spirit Pearls and Wood Spirit Pearls, urging them to cultivate so they could protect themselves.
• Jiang Liu presented Murong Yin and Feng Yue with three defensive treasures from the Great Qian Imperial Family treasury, and Murong Yin chose the hairpin while Feng Yue took the garment and belt.
• The Mystic Gate arrived in Cloud City the next day.

The Mystic Gate settled in Cloud City as Jiang Liu helped the Flowing Cloud Sect and Star Moon Sect govern Yun Province and Xun Province through three years of upheaval. He strengthened his cultivation and provincial influence, while Feng Yue advanced to the Grandmaster Realm.

• Jiang Liu welcomed Xuan Yi and the Mystic Gate to Cloud City, arranged their residence, and introduced them to local allies at a banquet.
• The Flowing Cloud Sect and Star Moon Sect executed the Great Qian Imperial Family's direct descendants after Jiang Lan failed to appear, then thwarted attacks on their True Inheritor Disciples and uncovered collaborators.
• Over three years, Jiang Liu cultivated the Saintly Sky Art in Cloud City as the Mystic Gate's presence and the Vast Righteous Sect's teachings increased the Special Essence Particles in Yun Province and Xun Province.
• Jiang Liu sent people to help restore Xun Province, but he could not find the vanished Corpse Valley remnants.
• With Jiang Liu and Murong Yin's help, Feng Yue safely advanced to the Grandmaster Realm, and Jiang Liu celebrated with a grand banquet.

Jiang Liu cultivated through the night and two full days as the Special Essence solid in his dantian shifted into place, completing his advancement to Peak Grandmaster. His overwhelming aura collapsed the cultivation square’s walls and left Murong Yin and Feng Yue struggling to withstand it.

• After the banquet, Jiang Liu sensed his chance to advance and went alone to the cultivation square, where Murong Yin and Feng Yue left him undisturbed.
• Jiang Liu circulated the Saintly Sky Art as the Special Essence solid in his dantian took shape, broke free of its Essence ribbons, and began rising through his body.
• Murong Yin and Feng Yue found Jiang Liu still cultivating the next day and realized his aura was growing stronger, so they did not disturb him.
• After two days of cultivation, Jiang Liu’s aura peaked, and the Special Essence solid reached its intended position with a rumble.
• Jiang Liu advanced to Peak Grandmaster, and his aura spread across the area and collapsed the walls around the cultivation square.
• The Fire-Winged Monkey sensed that Jiang Liu’s imprint in its spiritual sea had deepened, while Murong Yin and Feng Yue struggled under the might of his aura.

Jiang Liu's advancement to Peak Grandmaster triggered a violent storm and lightning tribulation, which first expanded his spiritual power before a ninth strike left him unconscious and vulnerable. His sea of consciousness continued growing as a fissure began forming between his eyebrows.

• Liuxing, Elder Yun Yue, and the other Cloud City Grandmasters sensed Jiang Liu's unusual advancement and watched the sky change.
• Jiang Liu left his residence for the mountains to protect Murong Yin and Feng Yue from the storm gathering around his cultivation.
• The Fire-Winged Monkey realized its spiritual mark had become deeply imprinted in its sea of consciousness and that it could never escape Jiang Liu's control.
• Jiang Liu endured eight lightning strikes that expanded his sea of consciousness and Divine Sense as he circulated the Saintly Sky Art.
• The ninth lightning strike caused Jiang Liu intense pain, leaving him unconscious and convulsing while his sea of consciousness kept expanding and a fissure formed between his eyebrows.

Jiang Liu reached Peak Grandmaster after enduring a violent transformation, gaining stronger Divine Sense and a mysterious mark between his brows. In Qian Province, Flowing Cloud Matriarch and Gongsun Haoyue linked their own loosening shackles to his advancement and discussed merging their sects, with Flowing Cloud Matriarch again proposing that Gongsun Haoyue marry Jiang Liu.

• Jiang Liu halted his cultivation of the Saintly Sky Art, circulated the Star Cloud Saint Art, and reached Peak Grandmaster, destroying nearby mutated beasts with his aura.
• Jiang Liu discovered that his Divine Sense had grown to 9.73 kilometers and felt a temporary crack or space open between his brows.
• Jiang Liu headed deeper into the mountain range to test the changes in his strength.
• Flowing Cloud Matriarch and Gongsun Haoyue sensed their restraints loosening, then learned from news of Jiang Liu's advancement that the change was likely connected to him.
• Flowing Cloud Matriarch and Gongsun Haoyue discussed merging their sects, and Flowing Cloud Matriarch proposed that Gongsun Haoyue marry Jiang Liu.

Gongsun Haoyue considered Flowing Cloud Matriarch’s proposal that she marry Jiang Liu, while Jiang Liu tested his new Peak Grandmaster strength against the Fire-Winged Monkey. The monkey revealed a fearsome attack and stayed in the mountains to train, as Jiang Liu flew back toward the outside world.

• Gongsun Haoyue weighed marrying Jiang Liu against the possibility of merging the Star Moon Sect into the Flowing Cloud Sect, and Flowing Cloud Matriarch left to announce Jiang Liu’s advancement.
• Jiang Liu fought the Fire-Winged Monkey and discovered that the monkey’s fur was turning faintly golden as it built up eight layers of momentum.
• The Fire-Winged Monkey unleashed a nearly imperceptible attack that carried a fatal threat, and Jiang Liu countered with Nebula Extinction before striking the monkey and sending it crashing through trees.
• Jiang Liu treated the Fire-Winged Monkey’s injuries with the Saintly Sky Art, then reflected on the fissure between his brows and his future advancement to the Saint Realm.
• The Fire-Winged Monkey responded through its spiritual sea that it wanted to stay and train, then headed deeper into the mountains as Jiang Liu flew out.

After reaching Peak Grandmaster, Jiang Liu reunited with his companions, enjoyed a peaceful evening, and agreed with Murong Yin and Feng Yue that they should start a family. Meanwhile, Situ Guang led Yao Guang Island’s fleet toward the Great Qian Continent to investigate the disappearance of his men, bringing a new threat toward Yun Province.

• Jiang Liu returned to his residence, where the Grandmasters of Cloud City gathered to congratulate him before heading home.
• Jiang Liu washed up, then answered Feng Yue’s questions about the Grandmaster Realm and demonstrated the use of Divine Sense.
• Murong Yin and Feng Yue suggested that Jiang Liu think about having children, and he agreed.
• Situ Guang sailed toward the Great Qian Continent with Yao Guang Island’s fleet to investigate the disappearance of two of his subordinates.
• Situ Guang cursed Baili Hong and vowed to make him pay if he found a flaw in the cultivation method.

Jiang Liu took Murong Yin, Feng Yue, Cuier, and Xiao He on a leisurely tour of Yun Province and Xun Province, traveling in carriages pulled by exotic beasts. After reaching Xia City, they reunited with Li Qiaoyun and greeted Li Moran at the City Lord's Mansion.

• Jiang Liu ordered two enormous carriages built and invited Murong Yin and Feng Yue on a long journey through the provinces.
• Jiang Liu set out with Murong Yin, Feng Yue, Cuier, and Xiao He, stopping in cities along the way to look around.
• Jiang Liu reached Xia City and noticed how its people seemed influenced by the Vast Righteous Sect's charitable customs.
• The Vast Righteous Sect's disciples welcomed Jiang Liu and his companions at the City Lord's Mansion, where Li Qiaoyun rushed to greet him.
• Jiang Liu introduced Murong Yin and Feng Yue as his wives, and Li Moran welcomed him to the council hall.

Jiang Liu and his companions visited Vast Righteous Sect, where Li Qiaoyun resolved to prove herself worthy of him and soon grew close to Murong Yin and Feng Yue. Meanwhile, Yu Yong spotted unfamiliar ships approaching Sea Gazing City, and after Yi Xun dismissed his warning, he went to alert Listening Wind and Gentle Rain Pavilion.

• Li Moran congratulated Jiang Liu on reaching Peak Grandmaster, then hosted Jiang Liu and his companions at Vast Righteous Sect.
• Li Qiaoyun asked her father whether she was inferior to Jiang Liu’s wives, then vowed to prove she was worthy of Jiang Liu.
• Murong Yin and Feng Yue visited Li Qiaoyun, and later the women joined Jiang Liu for an outing on Xia City’s snack street.
• Yu Yong spotted several enormous, unfamiliar ships approaching Sea Gazing City and reported them to Yi Xun, who dismissed his concern.
• Yu Yong decided the ships might belong to the force Jiang Liu had been searching for and went to alert Listening Wind and Gentle Rain Pavilion.

Situ Guang and the forces of Blood Demon Island attacked Sea Gazing City, slaughtering its inhabitants and capturing people for their blood sacrifice ritual. Yao Ling escaped with Yu Yong and sent a warning to Qi County as the city burned.

• Situ Guang led several Grandmasters into Sea Gazing City, where they killed the people at the gates and loaded the corpses onto a vessel for Blood Demon Island's blood sacrifice ritual.
• Situ Guang sensed the crowded tavern where Yi Xun was dining with the heads of several families and trapped everyone inside with his Divine Sense.
• Yao Ling received Yu Yong's report about the unfamiliar vessel, sent a warning by flying mutated beasts, and dispatched people to investigate the city gates.
• When her investigators failed to return, Yao Ling ordered Listening Wind and Gentle Rain Pavilion to withdraw and escaped through a secret passage with Yu Yong.
• Yao Ling reached an outpost beyond the city and ordered her subordinates to warn Qi County that Blood Demon Island had taken Sea Gazing City and that several Grandmasters were present.

Blood Demon Island raided Sea Gazing City, killing or abducting nearly every martial artist and using their corpses to cultivate the Blood Demon Art. News of the atrocity spread across the world, and fear and calls to destroy the island mounted as people awaited Jiang Liu's response.

• Blood Demon Island loaded captured martial artists onto its ships while corpses piled up at Sea Gazing City's docks, and Yi Xun regretted becoming a prisoner.
• The Listening Wind Pavilion spread news of the invasion across Yun Province and Xun Province, and Blood Demon Island withdrew after two days.
• Yao Ling and Gong Heqian entered Sea Gazing City and found it devastated, with nearly all martial artists dead or abducted.
• People across the world learned that Blood Demon Island had targeted martial artists and aberrant beasts, prompting outrage and a storm of calls to destroy it.
• Residents fled coastal cities, while Flowing Cloud Matriarch and Gongsun Haoyue wondered how Jiang Liu would respond.

After learning that Blood Demon Island had invaded and devastated Sea Gazing City, Jiang Liu returned to Cloud City to investigate the force and its changed methods. He learned that Blood Demon Island’s cultivation art had been mutating, but the island’s strength and motives remained unclear.

• Jiang Liu received news that Blood Demon Island had invaded Sea Gazing City, and Murong Yin and Feng Yue grieved over relatives lost in the disaster.
• Jiang Liu ordered the group to turn back toward Cloud City and wondered why Blood Demon Island was targeting people beyond spiritual-power cultivators.
• Murong Yin recalled intelligence that Blood Demon Island’s cultivation art had been mutating over the past few years.
• Jiang Liu reached Cloud City and received a dossier from Yin Yunting confirming Piao Han had noticed the cultivation art’s changes.
• Jiang Liu concluded that Blood Demon Island’s mutated art had made the force more evil and questioned how many Peak Grandmasters it possessed and why it had once fled the continent.

Jiang Liu decided to evacuate Sea Gazing City and prepare an expedition to Blood Demon Island, intending to investigate its strength himself. He arranged for Piao Han to teach him the island’s language and ordered the search for craftsmen to build ocean-going ships.

• Jiang Liu ordered Gong Heqian to relocate Sea Gazing City's civilians inland because the city lacked martial artists to defend it.
• Jiang Liu studied the nautical chart and decided to visit Blood Demon Island personally to gather intelligence before launching an attack.
• Murong Yin and Feng Yue returned to the Listening Wind Pavilion, and Jiang Liu told them his plan; after he reassured them, they agreed.
• Murong Yin summoned Piao Han and ordered the search for craftsmen to build ships capable of long ocean voyages.
• Jiang Liu instructed Piao Han to document the meanings and expressions of Great Qian speech alongside Blood Demon Island's language, promising to spare him if he worked conscientiously.

After the assault on Sea Gazing City, Jiang Liu organized withdrawals and compensation for the affected regions while preparing to travel to Blood Demon Island. More than a month later, the sea vessel was complete and Piao Han had prepared a translation guide, leaving Jiang Liu ready to arrange the crew and depart.

• Jiang Liu reassured Yi Yue and warned him and Qin Bailian to strengthen their defenses after the attack.
• Jiang Liu ordered Li Xuewu to withdraw personnel from Tianyun City, abandon four port cities, and compensate affected civilians and martial artists with funds from Cloud City.
• Li Xuewu, Lin Chi, and Chen Qiansong reported how the disaster had frightened people across the provinces and spurred martial artists to cultivate.
• Jiang Liu studied the Blood Demon Island language and monitored construction of the sea vessel while Flowing Cloud Sect and Star Moon Sect offered condolences and aid.
• After more than a month, the sea vessel was completed, and Piao Han prepared a guide matching Daqian characters and pronunciations to their Blood Demon Island equivalents.

Jiang Liu set sail from Sea Gazing City for Blood Demon Island aboard a newly built giant ship, bringing Grandmasters and Piao Han to guide the voyage. Meanwhile, the returning forces of Yao Guang Island began draining their captives’ blood, and Situ Guang prepared to test his cultivation method in pursuit of Peak Grandmaster.

• Jiang Liu sent He Chu to defend Tian County while Ming Chengyun and Jiang Congyue accompanied him on the expedition.
• Jiang Liu arrived at Sea Gazing City, inspected the giant ship, and oversaw several days of trial runs and adjustments.
• On the thirtieth day of the eighth month of the third year of Gongzhi, Jiang Liu boarded the ship with Piao Han, the Fire-Winged Monkey, and his company, then ordered it to set sail.
• Gong Heqian and the others left Sea Gazing City after the ship departed, leaving the city temporarily abandoned.
• Situ Guang returned to Yao Guang Island with captives from Great Qian, who were drained of blood, and entered secluded cultivation to test his method for reaching Peak Grandmaster.