Chapter Summaries

The Golden Roc Demon King ordered Tu Wuming’s Starry Sky Ring searched after Tu accused Xu Yi, but Xu Yi’s belongings revealed nothing. When Tu’s possessions were examined, evidence tied him to the deaths of Chu Suiyi and the others, leaving Tu desperately denying responsibility.

• White Wolf and Xu Yi emptied their rings for inspection, and Tu Wuming found no evidence among their possessions or in Xu Yi’s Four-Colored Seal.
• The Golden Roc Demon King identified the Four-Colored Seal as a damaged Ancient Relic with no function.
• Tu Wuming emptied his rings, revealing a Hundred Million Soul Bead that shocked the assembled crowd.
• Xu Yi searched Tu Wuming’s possessions and asked witnesses to identify anything connected to Chu Suiyi, Lang Tianyun, and Jiang Xiaofo.
• The Golden Roc Demon King recognized two Fourth Order Mystical Talismans as ones he had once given away and declared them evidence against Tu Wuming.
• Tu Wuming insisted that Xu Yi had shared the box and blamed Xu Yi for the deaths, but the Golden Roc Demon King rejected his denials.

Xu Yi exposed Tu Wuming’s treachery with a scheme built around the talismans and the Incense Bead, and the Golden Roc Demon King killed Tu Wuming when he tried to escape. The king rewarded Xu Yi with two Star Spirit Essences, while White Wolf helped frame the affair as Heaven’s will.

• The Golden Roc Demon King showed that he had privately given Chu Suiyi the two strange talismans, leaving Tu Wuming stunned as the evidence exposed his betrayal.
• Xu Yi’s scheme, aided by Huang Mei’s abilities, connected the talismans to Tu Wuming and made him appear responsible for the plot.
• Tu Wuming offered the Golden Roc Demon King his Starry Sky Ring, then transformed into a burning Dragon of Stars and fled with it.
• The Golden Roc Demon King formed a giant hand from the clouds, seized Tu Wuming, and killed him before drawing in his scattered resources.
• White Wolf called Tu Wuming’s exposure Heaven’s will and indirectly urged a reward for Xu Yi.
• Xu Yi asked the Golden Roc Demon King to reward White Wolf, but the king gave Xu Yi a jade box containing two Star Spirit Essences.

After Xu Yi helped bring down Tu Wuming, White Wolf visited to thank him and reassure him that he remained secure under the Great King’s power balance. Xu Yi accepted White Wolf’s Star Spirit Essence and persuaded him to explain the cultivation system, leaving Xu Yi with a guide to the doubts he could no longer afford to delay resolving.

• White Wolf praised Xu Yi for exposing Tu Wuming’s misdeeds and thanked him for removing a threat to his position.
• White Wolf offered Xu Yi his sole Star Spirit Essence, and Xu Yi accepted it after learning that White Wolf had no spare supply.
• White Wolf explained that the Great King’s balancing of power did not mean he had turned against White Wolf, and Xu Yi affirmed that he would stay with him.
• Xu Yi invited White Wolf to drink and asked him to guide him through cultivation because Xu Yi lacked a proper teacher and needed answers soon.
• White Wolf agreed and began explaining cultivation to Xu Yi.

Xu Yi questioned White Wolf about cultivation, learning the distinctions between Ghost Immortals, gods, and Human Immortals, as well as the Five Realms of Spirit Endowment. White Wolf told him to skip the secret-realm seal competition and attend the ceremony in three days, while Xu Yi spent the intervening days receiving influential guests.

• Xu Yi asked White Wolf about advancing through the Ghost Immortal Realm and the path to becoming a Human Immortal.
• White Wolf explained how Ghost Immortals could become Yin Gods, and how Human Immortals forged indestructible golden bodies.
• Xu Yi asked about White Wolf's Spirit Endowment and learned that magical power and personal insight shaped its strength.
• White Wolf told Xu Yi that the Great King had excused him from the secret-realm seal competition and instructed him to attend the ceremony in three days.
• Xu Yi spent the next three days hosting banquets and building connections with influential figures in the Golden Roc Demon King's Mansion.

After Xu Yi received a fourth-grade post from the Golden Roc Demon King's Mansion, he left to investigate Xia Sibo's warning that someone was trying to harm him. Meanwhile, a gathering of powerful underworld officials met secretly at Banshan Garden and urged Duan Haiping to take charge.

• Xu Yi earned a high-ranking fourth-grade post after helping defeat Tu Wuming and protect the Golden Roc Demon King's reputation.
• Xu Yi repeatedly visited White Wolf, then said farewell and received White Wolf's promise to help if he encountered trouble.
• Xu Yi returned to Fengdu City after Xia Sibo sent him alarming news and confronted him in his study, demanding to know who was targeting him.
• More than twenty Ghost Immortals gathered in Banshan Garden, where a deputy commissioner urged Duan Haiping to step forward and lead them.

Duan Haiping gathered officials and brokers to plan against Lei Chiyan, but revealed that their secret dealings with evil cults had been exposed to Duan Mingyu. The group feared Lei would force the secret into the open if he failed his three-month task, leaving them to seek a plan before either outcome threatened them.

• Wu Mingli and Kong Yanzhang urged Duan Haiping to wait for Lei Chiyan to miss his deadline before acting against him.
• Duan Haiping began explaining that Duan Mingyu had fallen into Lei Chiyan's trap, but Kong Yanzhang demanded that he get to the point.
• Duan Haiping admitted that Duan Xingbo had accidentally let their secret slip in front of Duan Mingyu.
• Wu Mingli explained that the officials had used Yin Court resources to funnel money to evil cult members for profit.
• Kong Yanzhang warned that Lei Chiyan could torture Song Huaishan and Duan Mingyu for the secret if he failed his task.
• Duan Haiping said Lei's success or failure could both endanger them and asked the gathered men to devise a plan.

Duan Haiping and the others discussed their failure to locate Duan Mingyu and Song Huaishan when a cloaked man revealed that Lei Chiyan had killed three great fiends. After confirming the news and learning Lei Chiyan would receive Star Spirit Essence, the group agreed to consider working with the cloaked man against him.

• Duan Haiping and the others admitted they could not find Duan Mingyu and Song Huaishan after Lei Chiyan took them away on a secret mission.
• A cloaked man entered the meeting and announced that Lei Chiyan had killed Chu Suiyi, Lang Tianyun, and Jiang Xiaofo.
• The cloaked man removed his disguise and displayed an object that convinced the group of his identity, then argued that Lei Chiyan threatened their interests.
• Duan Xingbo used the Ruyi Pearl to verify the cloaked man's report and received confirmation of Lei Chiyan's victory.
• Kong Yanzhang and Wu Mingli supported cooperating with the cloaked man, fearing Lei Chiyan would grow stronger after receiving Star Spirit Essence.

Xu Yi returned to Banshan Garden disguised as Old Demon Kongxu and proposed an extreme scheme to kill Lei Chiyan by destroying an ancient temple. The gathering recoiled at the danger, and Duan Haiping warned Xu Yi that his real purpose might be to harm them.

• Duan Haiping urged Old Demon Kongxu to help them deal with Lei Chiyan, whose mission to Fubo Mountain threatened them.
• Xu Yi revealed that he had returned to raise his standing and make others think twice before opposing him.
• Xu Yi proposed destroying an ancient temple guarded by the Catching Thieves Division, which would implicate Lei Chiyan and Xu Yi while drawing the Emperor Lord's attention.
• Kong Yanzhang rejected the plan as dangerously reckless, and Wu Mingli accused Xu Yi of joking.
• Xu Yi insisted the temple plot was the only way to kill Lei Chiyan in one strike, while Huang Mei condemned him for pursuing it.
• Duan Haiping warned Xu Yi that he seemed more intent on harming the group than helping them kill Lei Chiyan.

Xu Yi used the officials’ secrets and Lei Chiyan’s connection to Long Wenzhang to intensify their fear of Lei Chiyan. He proposed destroying the ancient temple to trap him, and the meeting turned to planning the attack while keeping themselves safe.

• Xu Yi warned the officials that Lei Chiyan could uncover their collusion with the Mani Sect and the Fire-Worshipping Sect, and claimed the Golden Roc Demon King's Mansion had investigated them.
• Duan Xingbo suggested warning the Yin Lord about the Golden Roc Demon King's Mansion, so Duan Haiping angrily ordered him out.
• Xu Yi revealed that one of Lei Chiyan’s targets, Lang Tianyun, had violated Long Wenzhang’s daughter, making it unlikely that Long Wenzhang would rein Lei Chiyan in.
• Xu Yi tried to leave, but the officials urged him to stay and advise them on dealing with Lei Chiyan.
• Xu Yi proposed destroying the ancient temple to set a deadly trap for Lei Chiyan, and Wu Mingli supported him as the officials began discussing how to avoid the fallout.

Lei Chiyan’s Catching Thieves Division annihilated Duan Haiping’s gathering at Banshan Garden, while Xu Yi escaped through the encirclement. After the Scorching Thunder Drum summoned Fengdu’s highest officials, the Central Palace promoted Lei Chiyan to Deputy Commander of the Ministry of Punishment.

• Duan Xingbo warned Duan Haiping that Lei Chiyan was mustering the Catching Thieves Division to purge its ranks, but Duan Haiping dismissed the warning.
• The Catching Thieves Division army destroyed Banshan Garden and surrounded Duan Haiping and the gathered officials.
• Lei Chiyan ordered the troops to kill without mercy, and Xu Yi used his Maxim gun to break through the formation and escape.
• The army killed Duan Haiping and the others before withdrawing in eighteen formations.
• The Scorching Thunder Drum sounded 108 times, summoning Fengdu’s highest-ranking officials to a joint council meeting.
• Xu Yi accepted the Central Palace’s decree promoting Lei Chiyan to Deputy Commander and discreetly gave the eunuch a Sumeru Ring.

After Xu Yi received an unusually prestigious reward edict from the Central Palace, Long Wenzhang warned him that exposing officials’ collusion with a heretical cult had earned him powerful enemies. Xu Yi remained determined to face the consequences and began rewarding the soldiers who served in the raid.

• A stout eunuch congratulated Xu Yi on receiving an edict from the Central Palace and called him Favored by the Emperor.
• Long Wenzhang told Xu Yi that the Western Underworld Lord and other powerful figures resented him for exposing officials who colluded with a heretical cult.
• Xu Yi said he had no choice but to make enemies, and Long Wenzhang promised to approve the resources needed to expand the Wind Message Battalion.
• Xu Yi inspected more than three hundred soldiers at the Catching Thieves Division’s drill ground.
• Xu Yi promoted Tong Shanhe three ranks, awarded him fifty Incense Beads, and appointed him Clerk Chief of the main offices.

Xu Yi rewarded the Catching Thieves Division officers, sought Lord Xia Sibo’s help with personnel appointments, and revealed that he had received an imperial decree granting him access to the Scripture Depository Cave. The chapter ended with White Wolf informing Xu Yi that the Great King planned to appoint him Donghua Hall Policy Advisor.

• Xu Yi rewarded more than three hundred Catching Thieves Division officers for their contributions and assigned Tong Shanhe to oversee the Wind Message Battalion’s expansion.
• Xu Yi visited Lord Xia Sibo, gave him a share of the gains from the Duan family, and asked him to help secure approval for a sweeping list of personnel appointments.
• Lord Xia Sibo initially rejected Xu Yi’s appointment list, but agreed to help after learning Xu Yi had received an imperial decree from the Central Palace.
• Xu Yi returned to his bamboo hut, where White Wolf told him the Great King had decided to appoint him Donghua Hall Policy Advisor.

Xu Yi remembered his promise to visit Zhang Bao'er for Mid-Autumn Festival and traveled to Penglai Immortal Island, where he found her emerging from three months of seclusion. The chapter left them sharing a feast beneath the full moon.

• White Wolf told Xu Yi that he had been appointed Donghua Hall Policy Advisor and given an invitation to Immortal King City, while warning him about coming changes in the Demon King's Mansion.
• Xu Yi remembered that Zhang Bao'er had asked him to visit Penglai Immortal Island for Mid-Autumn Festival, and he decided to keep his promise.
• Long Wenzhang sent Xu Yi another invitation to Immortal King City, but Xu Yi chose to go to Penglai first.
• Zhang Bao'er emerged from her cave on Cold Moon Peak after three months of seclusion and fell asleep from exhaustion.
• Xu Yi woke Zhang Bao'er with the smell of grilled meat, and the two ate together beneath the Mid-Autumn moon.

Zhang Bao'er gave Xu Yi an invitation to Immortal King City, revealing that she had endured three months of hardship to earn it for him. Xu Yi tried to discourage her from developing feelings for him by recounting his painful history with the women in his life, but Zhang Bao'er teased him instead, leaving him embarrassed and furious.

• Zhang Bao'er gave Xu Yi an invitation to Immortal King City and explained that she had worked for three months to obtain it for him.
• Xu Yi realized Zhang Bao'er had noticed how he secretly protected her and Zhang Zhongxing, and her gratitude moved him.
• Xu Yi told Zhang Bao'er about his past relationships and the women he had hurt, hoping to keep her from falling for him.
• Zhang Bao'er called Xu Yi a scumbag and said she wanted a warm, gentle husband, then laughed at his blushing face.
• Huang Mei mocked Xu Yi from inside the Starry Sky Ring, so Xu Yi sealed the ring and locked Huang Mei inside.

Xu Yi visited Zhang Bao'er and Zhang Baoyu on Huaiyu Mountain, gave Zhang Bao'er a Sumeru Ring, and left before the siblings attended the Zhang family's Mid-Autumn gathering. At the gathering, Zhang Kuangxing welcomed Zhang Bao'er and urged her to grow closer to her relatives.

• Xu Yi accepted Zhang Bao'er's invitation, gave her a Sumeru Ring, and told her to keep cultivating.
• Zhang Baoyu arrived in a panic about Liu Chuanshan, then was delighted to see Xu Yi, who soon vanished to attend urgent business.
• Two servants summoned Zhang Bao'er and Zhang Baoyu to the Zhang family gathering, and Zhang Bao'er agreed to go after they mocked the siblings.
• Zhang Bao'er and Zhang Baoyu joined nearly five hundred relatives at Huaiyu Hall for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
• Zhang Kuangxing praised Zhang Bao'er for her diligence and encouraged her to grow closer to the clan.

Zhang Kuangxing offered Zhang Wenfeng a government post, then revealed he intended to marry Zhang Bao'er off as Liu Chuanshan's concubine to secure the Liu family's support. Zhang Baoyu protested and was beaten by his father, Zhang Wenxing, while the family head ordered Zhang Wenxing to check on him.

• Zhang Bao'er recognized Zhang Kuangxing's excessive warmth as a warning and carefully explained why she had missed the Mid-Autumn gathering.
• Zhang Kuangxing offered Zhang Wenfeng a new post in Huaixi and promised to advance him to City God's deputy.
• Zhang Kuangxing said Liu Chuanshan wanted Zhang Bao'er, and Zhang Wenfeng objected to the match and rejected the promised post.
• Zhang Longxing insisted Zhang Bao'er was suitable as Liu Chuanshan's concubine, causing Zhang Wenfeng to cough up blood.
• Zhang Baoyu denounced Zhang Kuangxing's plan as a disgraceful attempt to buy the Liu family's vote in the Penglai Immortal Island Alliance election.
• Zhang Wenxing struck Zhang Baoyu and sent him flying from the hall, and Zhang Kuangxing told him to go check on his son.

Zhang Kuangxing forced Zhang Bao'er to choose between marrying Liu Chuanshan and sending Zhang Wenfeng to the deadly Nanzhang mines, and Zhang Bao'er reluctantly agreed to protect her father. Before the wedding could proceed, Xu Yi appeared in the hall, and Liu Zhengshou recognized him as the man who had killed Liu Chuanfeng.

• Zhang Longxing confronted Zhang Wenfeng and gave him the choice of marrying Zhang Bao'er to Liu Chuanshan or supervising the Nanzhang mines for fifty years.
• Zhang Wenfeng chose the mines, but Zhang Bao'er agreed to marry Liu Chuanshan to save her father.
• Zhang Kuangxing welcomed Liu Zhengshou, his brothers, and Liu Chuanshan, who offered two hundred Incense Beads as a betrothal gift.
• Liu Chuanshan demanded that Zhang Bao'er go home with him that night, but she could not bring herself to accept him.
• Xu Yi descended through the hall's protective array and announced that an old debt had to be settled; Liu Zhengshou recognized him as the killer of Liu Chuanfeng.

Xu Yi confronted the Zhang family at Huaiyu Mountain and revealed that Zhang Bao'er had wagered the mountain against him in a chess match. After Xu Yi demonstrated his power and the Zhang family backed down, Zhang Kuangxing left the dispute unresolved but offered no resistance.

• Xu Yi confronted Liu Zhengshou and Zhang Kuangxing, demanding that Zhang Bao'er come out to settle their score.
• Zhang Bao'er played along, and Xu Yi explained that she had wagered Huaiyu Mountain against him in a game of Exquisite Chess.
• Xu Yi produced their signed agreement, and the Zhang family protested that the wager was childish and invalid.
• Xu Yi fired thunder beads from his Maxim heavy machine gun, badly injuring Zhang Longxing and silencing the Zhang family.
• Zhang Kuangxing decided against summoning the family's Four-Realm Old Ancestors and apologized to Xu Yi, offering to let him punish Zhang Longxing.

Xu Yi threatened to take Huaiyu Mountain until Zhang Bao'er challenged the fairness of their old chess game and negotiated a rematch in three years. He agreed to stake Qilian Mountain against Huaiyu Mountain, but demanded that Zhang Kuangxing hand Zhang Bao'er the Zhang family's Protective Formation Jade Plate and Patriarch's Seal.

• Zhang Kuangxing tried to resist Xu Yi's demand, but learned that an army from the Golden Roc Demon King's Mansion had arrived outside the island.
• Zhang Bao'er argued that Xu Yi's chess victory had been unfair because a thunderstorm had unsettled her, and Zhang Kuangxing stopped his relatives from interrupting her.
• Xu Yi agreed to postpone the chess match for three years, with the rematch to take place in the True Gang Void Domain.
• Zhang Kuangxing promised to help Zhang Bao'er reach the second realm of Ghost Immortal within three years.
• Xu Yi wagered Qilian Mountain against Huaiyu Mountain and demanded that Zhang Kuangxing hand Zhang Bao'er the Protective Formation Jade Plate and the Zhang family Patriarch's Seal.

Xu Yi made Zhang Bao'er the head of Huaiyu Mountain and bound the mountain’s fate to their three-year wager before leaving. Lei Chiyan arrived afterward and asked Zhang Bao'er where Xu Yi had gone.

• Zhang Kuangxing agreed to make Zhang Bao'er patriarch and handed over the Protective Formation Jade Plate and Patriarch's Seal.
• Xu Yi refined Zhang Kuangxing's marks from the items, bound them to Zhang Bao'er, and declared Huaiyu Mountain hers under their three-year wager.
• After Xu Yi left, Zhang Kuangxing realized he could not punish Zhang Bao'er without risking Huaiyu Mountain, while Liu Zhengshou reprimanded Liu Chuanshan for asking to take her away.
• The chief steward announced that Lei Chiyan of the Yin Court had arrived, and Zhang Kuangxing hoped he would deal with Xu Yi.
• Lei Chiyan ignored Zhang Kuangxing, asked Zhang Bao'er where Xu Yi was, and she replied that he had just left.