Chapter Summaries

Xu Yi secured the captains’ submission and visited Long Wenzhang to propose creating an intelligence-gathering force. Long Wenzhang and Master Zuo heard him out, but Xu Yi’s motives and the commander’s response remained unresolved.

• Xu Yi showed Li Kang the other captains pledging allegiance, and Li Kang gave up his resistance.
• Xu Yi visited Long Wenzhang, who had been debating whether to summon him after hearing of the day’s events.
• Xu Yi proposed punishing Song Huaishan and Duan Mingyu, and Long Wenzhang offered to take them off his hands.
• Xu Yi proposed forming the nineteenth battalion, the Wind Message Battalion, by combining the battalions’ messenger teams.
• Master Zuo advised Long Wenzhang to let Xu Yi explain, and Long Wenzhang asked Xu Yi what sort of man he thought he was.

Xu Yi negotiated with Long Wenzhang, securing approval for his Wind Message Battalion and an agreement that Long would not oppose his bid to lead the Catching Thieves Division. He then visited Xia Sibo, where he confronted the aftermath of Steward Xia’s punishment, and Xia Sibo asked why he had come.

• Xu Yi assured Long Wenzhang that he did not intend to threaten his position and promised to serve only one term as head of the Catching Thieves Division.
• Long Wenzhang and Master Zuo privately agreed to accept Xu Yi’s terms and make him a potential ally.
• Xu Yi signed a written promise, and Long Wenzhang approved his request to establish the Wind Message Battalion while declining to protect him from other enemies.
• Xu Yi visited Xia Sibo’s estate, where Steward Xia apologized for secretly taking his three hundred Incense Beads and explained that Xia Sibo had beaten him.
• Xu Yi called Xia Sibo “Old Xia” and complained about Steward Xia’s punishment, causing Steward Xia to faint.
• Xia Sibo led Xu Yi into his study and asked what he wanted, saying their accounts should already have been settled.

Xu Yi secured Xia Sibo’s help and spent half a month building the Wind Message Battalion, binding its officers to him with Heavenly King's Heart Lock Pills. A month later, the new force still had no reliable leads on the Old Devils, leaving Xu Yi with little more than a month to solve his urgent problem.

• Xu Yi asked Xia Sibo to watch his back and report on his opponents’ movements, and Xia Sibo agreed to keep an eye on things.
• Xu Yi spent half a month organizing the Wind Message Battalion and rejected pleas to release Song Huaishan and Duan Mingyu.
• Xu Yi offered the battalion’s officers Heavenly King's Heart Lock Pills, and they accepted them and pledged loyalty to him.
• Xu Yi rewarded the officers with Incense Beads and ordered the Wind Message Battalion to track down the Old Devils.
• After another month passed without useful intelligence, Xu Yi realized he had little time left and still needed to find a way to fill another slot.

Xu Yi learned from Chen Fangge that the Golden Roc Demon King was about to establish a Demon King's Mansion, creating a rare chance for powerful demons to gain official posts. Xu Yi traveled to Fubo Mountain to pursue the opportunity and, while dining with Chen Fangge, prepared to learn more about the Golden Roc Demon King.

• Chen Fangge contacted Xu Yi and invited him to join the Golden Roc Demon King's new system, explaining that many demons would seek its positions and incense offerings.
• Xu Yi arranged the Catching Thieves Division's affairs, sent messages to Long Wenzhang and Xia Sibo, and traveled by teleportation array to Fubo Mountain.
• Xu Yi met Chen Fangge at the North Sea shore and tested his identity by discussing their shared past.
• Chen Fangge showed Xu Yi the bustling settlement around Fubo Mountain and explained that the Demon King's Mansion would be established in three days.
• Chen Fangge led Xu Yi to Wangbei Tower, where they took a table on the top floor and ordered the Eight Delicacies Feast.

Xu Yi watched a fraudulent trade at Wangbei Tower and stepped in after a fake Qianyuan Bead cost Baoyu his Wenxue Pills. Baoyu was left intimidated into silence, while Xu Yi prepared to confront the con artists.

• Xu Yi ate with Chen Fangge at Wangbei Tower and noticed Baoyu considering a trade with a red-robed young man for a Qianyuan Bead.
• Liu San urged Baoyu to exchange his Wenxue Pills for the bead, and Baoyu agreed despite another offer from a bystander.
• A red-skinned peanut Xu Yi had thrown shattered the Qianyuan Bead, exposing it as a fake, and the red-robed young man offered an Incense Bead instead of returning the pills.
• Baoyu demanded his Wenxue Pills back, but Liu San discouraged him by warning that he would damage the Zhang family's reputation.
• Xu Yi told Chen Fangge the con artists would not get away with it and rose from his seat, while Baoyu blocked their way before Liu San's warning made him falter.

Xu Yi intervened when Zhang Baoyu was being swindled, then attacked the group after they invoked Red Eagle Master to intimidate him. He killed Red Eagle Master with a Maxim machine gun and collected the scattered resources.

• Xu Yi recognized Zhang Baoyu and demanded three thousand Incense Beads from the red-robed young man as compensation for a destroyed peanut.
• The round-faced young man threatened Xu Yi while the crowd reacted to the name of Red Eagle Master.
• Xu Yi struck the round-faced young man with a dark-blue flame, but Red Eagle Master arrived and extinguished it with a cold cloud.
• Red Eagle Master challenged Xu Yi, who revealed a Maxim machine gun and killed him with Thunder Bullets.
• Xu Yi absorbed Red Eagle Master's pure airflow and took the resources scattered on the ground.

Xu Yi exposed Liu Chuanfeng’s scheme against Zhang Baoyu, forced the gathered martial artists to surrender their Starry Sky Rings, and tried to comfort Zhang Baoyu after the betrayal. As they prepared to eat, a blinding light erupted over the sea west of Wangbei Tower, and the building began to disintegrate.

• The red-robed young man revealed that Liu Chuanfeng had arranged the fake Qianyuan Bead scheme to steal Zhang Baoyu’s Wenxue Pills, and Xu Yi returned the pills to Zhang Baoyu.
• Zhang Baoyu begged Xu Yi to spare Liu Chuanfeng, and Xu Yi let Zhang decide whether to deal with him.
• Xu Yi ordered everyone in Wangbei Tower to surrender their Starry Sky Rings, then drove the crowd out to spread word that Old Demon Kongxu had arrived at Fubo Mountain.
• Xu Yi reassured the shaken Zhang Baoyu, who asked whether Xu Yi would ever betray him, and Zhang suggested they go eat.
• A blinding light flared over the sea west of Wangbei Tower, boiling the seawater and causing the tower to disintegrate as chopsticks shot into the sky.

Xu Yi confronted the group Liu Chuanfeng brought to accuse him of corrupting Zhang Baoyu, and killed Liu with a precise Thunder True Spirit Power strike. A furious white-robed cultivator attacked Xu Yi with a fourth-tier talisman, leaving him surrounded by a collapsing sea of fire.

• Xu Yi and Chen Fangge witnessed the White Wolf defeat an Underworld powerhouse, after which the battlefield and Wangbei Tower returned to normal.
• Liu Chuanfeng led Zhang Baoyu’s Seventh Grandfather and six others to confront Xu Yi, claiming Xu Yi had bewitched the boy.
• Xu Yi knocked Zhang Baoyu unconscious and sent him back to the group, then used a Thunder Cage Net as a feint to strike Liu Chuanfeng with Thunder True Spirit Power.
• The white-robed, middle-aged man attacked Xu Yi with a purple fourth-tier talisman, whose flames enveloped him and began collapsing space.

Xu Yi helped White Wolf break the talisman field and gained his friendship, securing a minor post for Chen Fangge before joining him at the Golden Roc Demon King's palace. White Wolf introduced Xu Yi to the Golden Roc Demon King as a remarkable talent, leaving Xu Yi poised to meet the ruler.

• Xu Yi's divine weapon shattered the talisman field, and Chen Fangge praised his strength.
• White Wolf arrived, recognized Xu Yi's abilities, and agreed to take him to meet the Golden Roc Demon King.
• Xu Yi asked White Wolf to find Chen Fangge a position, and White Wolf granted him a ninth-rank minor post.
• Xu Yi followed White Wolf through a Stealth Formation to the Golden Roc Demon King's palace, where a banquet and appointments were underway.
• The Golden Roc Demon King praised White Wolf for defeating Wang Bodang, and White Wolf presented Xu Yi as a talent more valuable than capturing the Yin Court general.

Xu Yi faced Tu Wuming’s challenge at the Golden Roc Demon King’s investiture banquet and used his abilities to prove his strength while offering a congratulatory performance. He began forming an essay with Thunder Beads, captivating the Golden Roc Demon King as the display continued.

• White Wolf introduced Xu Yi as Old Demon Kongxu, but Xu Yi corrected him and said he was known as Empty Void Young Master.
• Tu Wuming disparaged Xu Yi’s reputation and questioned White Wolf’s claim that Xu Yi had shattered a fourth-tier, max-level fire talisman.
• White Wolf defended Xu Yi, and the Golden Roc Demon King praised his feat, prompting Tu Wuming to challenge the claim again.
• Xu Yi offered to perform for the Golden Roc Demon King, and the King removed the Golden Hall’s walls and roof to make room.
• Xu Yi revealed a Maxim heavy machine gun and fired Thunder Beads that burst into characters, forming an essay that the Golden Roc Demon King began reading aloud.

Xu Yi recited Free and Easy Wanderings before the Golden Roc Demon King, who praised it as an auspicious masterpiece and agreed to have it carved in stone. Tu Wuming then accused Xu Yi of stealing the work, and Xu Yi challenged him by claiming the version Tu had read was missing a line.

• Xu Yi recited Free and Easy Wanderings, and the Golden Roc Demon King asked who had written it.
• Xu Yi claimed the work as his own, and the Golden Roc Demon King praised its meaning and agreed to have it carved into stone.
• Tu Wuming accused Xu Yi of claiming a work by Old Fifth Son, and others joined in attacking him.
• Xu Yi challenged Tu Wuming to recite the piece and pointed out that his version was missing a line.
• Tu Wuming denied that any line was missing and accused Xu Yi of inventing a continuation.

Xu Yi outmaneuvered Tu Wuming at the banquet, then ingratiated himself with the other major demons while considering whether to seek an official position under the Golden Roc Demon King. White Wolf arrived at Xu Yi’s quarters and questioned his sudden rapport with Tu Wuming.

• Xu Yi added the line “The Utmost Person has no Self, the Divine Person has no Merit, and the Saint has no Name” to the Free and Easy Wanderings, silencing Tu Wuming and impressing the Golden Roc Demon King.
• The Golden Roc Demon King gave Xu Yi a seat at the banquet, then left with White Wolf as the gathering resumed.
• Xu Yi apologized to Tu Wuming and flattered him, then won over Chu Suiyi, Lang Tianyun, and Jiang Xiaofo by praising their reputations and drinking with them.
• After the banquet, Xu Yi pondered how to capture his intended prey and whether to establish an official identity in the Golden Roc Demon King's Mansion.
• White Wolf visited Xu Yi and remarked on his ability to turn the world upside down by becoming friendly with Tu Wuming.

Xu Yi persuaded White Wolf that his apparent reconciliation with Tu Wuming came from uncertainty about the Great King's intentions and a desire to avoid getting caught in their dispute. White Wolf reassured him, promised him a high-ranking fourth-rank post, and arranged for Xu Yi to retrieve its official seal from a secret realm.

• Xu Yi asked White Wolf about the Great King's view of his feud with Tu Wuming and explained why he had apologized to Tu Wuming.
• White Wolf accepted Xu Yi's explanation, apologized for leaving without warning, and clarified that the Great King had treated Tu Wuming well to attract others, not to undermine White Wolf.
• White Wolf told Xu Yi that the Great King planned to grant him a high-ranking fourth-rank post and offered to help with trouble back home.
• Xu Yi accepted the appointment, and White Wolf explained that Xu Yi would retrieve his official seal from a secret realm before completing the formalities.

Xu Yi decided to pursue opportunities on both sides and, with the Desolate Charm’s help, lured Chu Suiyi into the Four-Colored Seal. He left Chu trapped inside while the Desolate Charm emerged satisfied.

• Xu Yi rejected the Desolate Charm’s warning and paid it five Incense Beads to help him plan a risky scheme.
• Xu Yi found Chu Suiyi’s cave and offered him a hundred Incense Beads to mediate with Tu Wuming.
• Chu Suiyi accepted the gift and let Xu Yi into his cave to discuss a treasure for Tu Wuming.
• Xu Yi placed the Four-Colored Seal before Chu Suiyi, and the seal’s portal sucked Chu inside.
• Xu Yi entered the seal after Chu Suiyi and emerged a few dozen breaths later with the satisfied Desolate Charm.

After confirming Chu Suiyi’s death, Xu Yi killed Lang Tianyun and Jiang Xiaofo to collect their resources and demon bounties. He then prepared to pursue Tu Wuming, but Huang Mei stopped him with a suggestion that might help.

• Xu Yi verified Chu Suiyi’s death with the Merit Jade and turned his attention to the Star Spirit Essences offered for demons on the Demon Ranking.
• Xu Yi visited Lang Tianyun and Jiang Xiaofo, offering them gifts and asking them to help him reconcile with Tu Wuming.
• Lang Tianyun took the Four-Colored Seal and was pulled into its portal, while Xu Yi trapped Jiang Xiaofo in Thunder Cage Nets and killed him.
• Xu Yi entered the crystalline space and killed Lang Tianyun, then gathered the resources and erased traces of spiritual power from the cave dwelling.
• Xu Yi returned to his quarters, checked that nobody had visited, and decided to target Tu Wuming next.
• As Xu Yi was about to leave for his final check, Huang Mei offered him a useful idea, and Xu Yi accepted it.

Xu Yi tried to kill Tu Wuming in his palace, but Tu Wuming’s Starry Sky Snake exposed his intent and the two fought fiercely. White Wolf arrived as Xu Yi was badly wounded, confronting Tu Wuming.

• Xu Yi visited Tu Wuming at night, apologized, and offered three hundred Incense Beads and two Fourth Order Mystical Talismans.
• Xu Yi presented the Four-Colored Soul-Hooking Seal, but Tu Wuming’s Starry Sky Snake sensed his killing intent and exposed the plot.
• Xu Yi attacked Tu Wuming with his Maxim heavy machine gun while Huang Mei sent clear Qi and corpse miasma fleeing from the palace.
• Tu Wuming summoned the Dragon of Stars and overwhelmed Xu Yi’s defenses with silver arrows and a massive dragon strike.
• A burst of red light disrupted the attack, and Xu Yi fell gravely wounded as White Wolf confronted Tu Wuming.

Xu Yi and Tu Wuming accused each other of plotting murder on Fubo Mountain, drawing the Golden Roc Demon King into a public dispute that threatened to disrupt his new domain. In the Main Hall, both sides defended their accounts, and the Great King had yet to judge the case.

• Tu Wuming accused White Wolf of sending Xu Yi to kill him, while Xu Yi denied the charge and claimed Tu Wuming had attacked him.
• The Golden Roc Demon King ordered cultivators of the second realm and above to gather in the Main Hall and discuss the incident.
• Tu Wuming rallied other cultivators by accusing White Wolf of plotting the ambush and suggesting he would leave if White Wolf were spared.
• The Golden Roc Demon King told Xu Yi and Tu Wuming that he would judge the matter if they could not establish the truth.
• Tu Wuming insisted that Xu Yi had come to kill him at White Wolf's urging, and White Wolf rejected the accusation.

Xu Yi and Tu Wuming accused each other of attempting murder before the Golden Roc Demon King postponed judgment for lack of evidence. Xu Yi then implicated Tu Wuming in the disappearances of Chu Suiyi, Lang Tianyun, and Jiang Xiaofo, prompting a search as Tu Wuming blamed White Wolf.

• Tu Wuming accused Xu Yi of attacking him, while White Wolf denied sending Xu Yi to provoke him.
• Xu Yi asked the Golden Roc Demon King to prevent interruptions and argued that Tu Wuming had tried to kill him after receiving the Four-Colored Seal.
• Xu Yi challenged Tu Wuming’s oath and revealed his Illusory Demon as evidence that he had a spirit pet with him.
• The Golden Roc Demon King postponed the trial, but Xu Yi claimed Tu Wuming had also targeted Chu Suiyi, Lang Tianyun, and Jiang Xiaofo.
• White Wolf ordered the Fubo Guards to search the three missing men’s residences, and Tu Wuming accused White Wolf of helping Xu Yi.

Xu Yi accused Tu Wuming of arranging the deaths of Chu Suiyi, Lang Tianyun, and Jiang Xiaofo, then persuaded witnesses to identify a figure they had seen during Xu Yi and Tu Wuming’s fight. The witnesses produced matching portraits, but Xu Yi’s reaction suggested something unexpected had happened, and Tu Wuming cried that it was happening again.

• The Fubo Guards reported that Chu Suiyi, Lang Tianyun, and Jiang Xiaofo were missing from their residences, with no signs of a struggle.
• Xu Yi accused Tu Wuming of having an accomplice present during their fight, while Tu Wuming denied the accusation before the Golden Roc Demon King.
• The Golden Roc Demon King offered a reward for anyone who could identify the suspect, and Xu Yi urged witnesses to come forward.
• Thirteen witnesses independently drew the same portrait of a tall, burly man with a thick, curly beard.
• Xu Yi stared at the matching portraits in bewilderment, and Tu Wuming shouted that it was happening again.

Xu Yi framed Tu Wuming for the murders by making the evidence point to Lei Chiyan, whose Yin Court appointment supplied a convincing motive. The Golden Roc Demon King concluded Tu Wuming was guilty and pressed him to allow an inspection of his Starry Sky Ring.

• Xu Yi identified the figure in the portraits as Lei Chiyan, and the Golden Roc Demon King retrieved an intelligence report confirming Lei Chiyan's identity and assignment.
• The witnesses accepted the report as proof that Lei Chiyan had killed Chu Suiyi, Lang Tianyun, and Jiang Xiaofo, while Tu Wuming protested that Xu Yi had framed him.
• Xu Yi's concealed plan was revealed: he had used pure qi and Huangmei's corpse puppet to portray Lei Chiyan and redirect suspicion toward Tu Wuming.
• Xu Yi proposed searching Tu Wuming's Starry Sky Ring for the stolen spoils, and Tu Wuming resisted because it could expose his other crimes.
• White Wolf offered his own ring for inspection, Xu Yi agreed to have his searched as well, and the Golden Roc Demon King declared that the evidence pointed to Tu Wuming.