Chapter Summaries

Xu Yi used the Undefeated Golden Body and Stars Shift and Heavens Turn to defeat Venerable Guangcheng and his men. After looting and clearing the battlefield, he flew toward the divine capital on his last Mechanical Bird.

• Xu Yi activated the Undefeated Golden Body and Return to Origin Steps, then knocked down more than twenty of Venerable Guangcheng's minions.
• Xu Yi absorbed the weapon energy sent by two men in white and redirected it as Finger Swords, killing them before the Blood River Flag swallowed their dark Yin energy.
• Venerable Guangcheng recognized Stars Shift and Heavens Turn and asked about Xu Yi's connection to Jiang Baihou, but Xu Yi attacked instead.
• Venerable Guangcheng unleashed Killing Intent and Qi cones, but Xu Yi absorbed them and killed him with a storm of Finger Swords.
• Xu Yi took Venerable Guangcheng's Sumeru Ring and the two men in white's blood weapons, disposed of the other items, and flew toward the divine capital.

Xu Yi returned to Zimo Xuan, arranged for his old acquaintances to be welcomed, and went with Head Butler Gao to meet Marquis Anqing. Marquis Anqing revealed that the Blind Daoist worked for him and that a recording implicated Chen Tianfang in an attempt to kill Xu Yi.

• Xu Yi heard that the Scar-faced Daoist had appeared in Zhongzhou and that the Jiang family had lost several experts.
• Xu Yi told Yuan Qinghua to keep seeking Pure Five Elements Raw Material, watch for the duck, and arrange for Zhao Baling and the others from Guang'an to be received.
• Xu Yi went with Head Butler Gao to Marquis Anqing's residence after learning that Marquis Anqing had been waiting for him.
• Marquis Anqing praised Xu Yi's literary and martial talents before admitting that the Blind Daoist worked for him.
• Marquis Anqing showed Xu Yi a Shadow-Sound Pearl recording of Chen Tianfang trying to kill him and explained that the Blind Daoist had captured evidence against Chen Tianfang.

Marquis Anqing told Xu Yi that the Seven Great Sects’ Dao Discussion at Dragon Head Peak was meant to activate the Seven Fiend Soul Tablet, and revealed the tablet’s connection to Jiang Hentian and a secret letter hidden in the Marquis’s residence. He left Xu Yi poised to hear what the letter contained, with both men bound by secrets that could endanger them.

• Marquis Anqing reassured Xu Yi that he would keep Xu Yi’s secret and destroyed the Shadow-Sound Pearl, easing Xu Yi’s suspicion.
• Marquis Anqing asked Xu Yi to help with a matter connected to the Seven Great Sects’ Dao Discussion at Dragon Head Peak.
• Marquis Anqing explained that the Seven Great Sects used the Dao Discussion’s bloodshed to activate the Seven Fiend Soul Tablet and select elite candidates.
• Xu Yi connected the tablet to Jiang Hentian’s sudden rise from the early Qi Sea Realm to unmatched power.
• Marquis Anqing revealed that a secret guard’s descendant had spent seven generations placing Jiang Hentian’s old residence in his family’s hands, where a letter was hidden in a stone slab.

Marquis Anqing told Xu Yi that Jiang Hentian brought the Seven Fiend Soul Tablet and seven boundary tokens back from another world through the Dark Mountain. He explained that Jiang Hentian died before he could use the tablet to leave again, while the Seven Sects' Dao Discussion had become a way to feed the tablet blood.

• Marquis Anqing revealed that Jiang Hentian's letter described events in another world and connected him to the Seven Fiend Soul Tablet.
• Xu Yi learned that the Dark Mountain was a fragment of space that could connect Great Yue to the outside world, and suspected its appearance decades earlier was linked to Old Thief Liu.
• Marquis Anqing explained that the tablet sealed a forbidden place containing seven boundary tokens that Jiang Hentian had used to travel through the Dark Mountain.
• Marquis Anqing said Jiang Hentian returned to Great Yue to settle unfinished business and reunite with his beloved, but Emperor Longqing poisoned him before he could leave again.
• Marquis Anqing explained that the Seven Sects' Dao Discussion was held on Dragon Head Peak because the tablet reacted to martial artists' blood and produced a vision of an immortal performing martial arts.

Marquis Anqing recruited Xu Yi to enter the forbidden grounds during a rare convergence of the Dark Mountain’s appearance and the Mysterious Yin Moon, when the Seven Fiend Soul Tablet might be vulnerable. Xu Yi accepted the dangerous deal for a share of the Seven Boundary Tablets, then began asking Marquis Anqing for help as Marquis Anqing protested that his estate was poor.

• Marquis Anqing explained that the Dark Mountain’s appearance during the Mysterious Yin Moon could weaken the Seven Fiend Soul Tablet enough to destroy it.
• Xu Yi asked why Marquis Anqing had chosen him, and Marquis Anqing praised his ability to combine strength and strategy in battle.
• Marquis Anqing asked Xu Yi to retrieve at least one of the Seven Boundary Tablets after the tablet was broken and its hidden monsters and demons emerged.
• Xu Yi accepted the deal, expecting to claim a generous share of the Boundary Tablets.
• Xu Yi asked Marquis Anqing for assistance, and Marquis Anqing claimed that his estate was in debt and relied on the Empress Dowager’s private funds.

Xu Yi asked Marquis Anqing to obtain rare treasures for his journey to Dragon Head Peak, where he planned to conceal his identity while pursuing the Boundary Plate. After testing his new disguise and flight equipment, he asked how Cloud Prison could be withdrawn if it was nearly impossible to break.

• Xu Yi explained that he needed rare treasures, and Marquis Anqing left to acquire them.
• Marquis Anqing returned with Phantom Skin, which Xu Yi tested and used to change his appearance.
• Marquis Anqing gave Xu Yi the Wings of the Wind God, and Xu Yi memorized their array formula before testing their flight.
• Marquis Anqing presented Xu Yi with Divine Sword Capturing Dragon and the Cloud Prison array.
• Xu Yi asked Marquis Anqing how Cloud Prison could be withdrawn if it was almost impossible to break through.

Xu Yi received four custom treasures and five Mechanical Birds from Marquis Anqing to prepare for the mission to Dragon Head Peak, agreeing to reclaim the boundary tablet in exchange for a Flame Fruit. He borrowed Marquis Anqing’s library card and arrived at the Imperial Library, whose history and access rules were explained.

• Marquis Anqing warned Xu Yi that the Cloud Prisoner Formation could not be withdrawn after deployment, then presented the four treasures and five Mechanical Birds he had arranged for him.
• Xu Yi thanked Marquis Anqing and agreed to reclaim the boundary tablet in return for a Flame Fruit.
• Xu Yi asked to borrow Marquis Anqing’s library card, and Marquis Anqing gave him a blue jade token.
• Xu Yi reached the Imperial Library and surveyed its imposing entrance and royal inscription.
• The library’s history was recounted, including Emperor Longqing’s paid access for royal relatives and Emperor Xizong’s efforts to turn royal assets into sources of income.

Xu Yi entered the Imperial Library and learned how its fees and sealed books could drain a reader’s money. Following a tip from the blue-robed clerk, he brought Huadiao wine to Old Cangtou, who revealed that Old Xie had been controlling his supply.

• Emperor Xizong’s policies had made library cards costly to use, and Xu Yi deposited ten thousand gold at the Imperial Library.
• The blue-robed clerk accepted Xu Yi’s extra payment and directed him to take Huadiao wine to Old Cangtou in the washroom.
• Xu Yi studied the library’s rules and discovered that readers had to pay to open each sealed book, with top-ups inside the hall costing fifty percent more.
• Xu Yi found Old Cangtou asleep in the washroom and offered him two jars of Huadiao wine.
• Old Cangtou drank both jars and complained that Old Xie profited from him while limiting him to two jars at a time.

Xu Yi won Old Cangtou’s attention with rare wine and showed that he had recognized the old man’s hidden standing and vast knowledge of the royal library. After Xu Yi demonstrated his cultivation, Old Cangtou was astonished by his reported Late Condensing Liquid Realm, leaving Xu Yi puzzled about how he had reached it.

• Xu Yi offered Old Cangtou thirty-year-old Bamboo Leaf Green, and the old man eagerly tasted it before agreeing to help him.
• Xu Yi explained that Old Cangtou’s command of the library’s books and his treatment within the royal library revealed that he was no ordinary drunk.
• Old Cangtou reminisced about Sanyuan Bridge and an old acquaintance, and Xu Yi answered his verse with a line that impressed him.
• Old Cangtou asked Xu Yi’s age and cultivation realm, and Xu Yi demonstrated his strength with a punch that produced a sonic boom.
• Old Cangtou judged Xu Yi to be in the Late Condensing Liquid Realm and compared him favorably with Ji Jiu, while Xu Yi wondered how he had advanced so far.

Xu Yi learned that his unusual cultivation had reached the peak of the Liquid Condensation Realm and formed a Vengeful Embryo, then questioned Old Cangtou about whether it could be cured. Old Cangtou warned him to stay away from the person closest to him, and Xu Yi pressed him for a direct answer about the Vengeful Embryo’s prospects.

• Old Cangtou recognized Xu Yi as having reached the peak of the Liquid Condensation Realm, while Xu Yi remained astonished by his own condition.
• Xu Yi deduced that Old Cangtou’s talent had led to both his former stature and his current captivity, then persuaded him to answer questions.
• Xu Yi asked whether anyone with a Vengeful Embryo had ever reached the Soul Sensing Realm, and Old Cangtou reacted with alarm.
• Xu Yi revealed that he was asking on behalf of someone close to him, and Old Cangtou warned him to stay away from that person.
• Xu Yi identified Old Cangtou’s suspicion that the person was the reincarnated Ghost Emperor, then asked whether a Vengeful Embryo was truly incurable.

Xu Yi questioned Old Cangtou about the Vengeful Embryo and learned more about its nature, though its curse remained unexplained. Old Cangtou also urged Xu Yi to confront a man he hated, then explained the elusive nature of intent.

• Xu Yi asked how Vengeful Embryos formed, and Old Cangtou explained that Killing Intent swept away the body's seven unseen energy fields, causing the body to die and decay.
• Xu Yi connected the seven points of light in his Qi Sea to the Seven Souls but set aside the mystery of why his body still functioned.
• Old Cangtou asked Xu Yi to destroy a treasured possession of the Lineage associated with a man he hated, but Xu Yi refused.
• Old Cangtou warned Xu Yi that he and the man were likely to clash, and Xu Yi thanked him for the guidance.
• Xu Yi asked about Sword King Feng Xifeng and the Divine Intent Sword, and Old Cangtou described intent as something real yet difficult to distinguish from the unreal.

Xu Yi learned from Old Cangtou that his Life and Death Realm was a Sorrowful Realm suited to auxiliary implements and mental attacks. After studying several books, he decided to refine a Soul-Summoning Banner and began working out its materials.

• Old Cangtou explained artistic conception and Life and Death Realms, then identified Xu Yi's realm as a Sorrowful Realm suited to an auxiliary implement.
• Old Cangtou directed Xu Yi to a book on artistic conceptions and advised him to reveal himself when useful and lie low when needed.
• Xu Yi gave Old Cangtou Bamboo Leaf Green and a Sumeru Ring, then searched the sea of books for the recommended text.
• After reading, Xu Yi concluded that sorrow could power auxiliary implements involving mental attacks and settled on refining a Soul-Summoning Banner.
• Xu Yi studied three books and determined that he already had the two main materials needed for the banner: its pole and cloth.

Xu Yi left the Imperial Library after receiving an urgent message and hurried out of the capital, while Xue Zihan stayed hidden with Qiu Wa and awaited a visit from three women. The chapter left Xu Yi’s destination and the visitors’ intentions unrevealed.

• Xu Yi struggled to obtain the remaining Five Elements Raw Materials and comprehend the intent of sorrow needed to refine his Soul-Summoning Banner.
• Xu Yi received an urgent message, returned his borrowed books, and rushed out of the Imperial Library on his Mechanical Bird.
• Xu Yi evaded the Sky Patrol Riders and left the capital through Anding Gate using his official ring and a document from the Commander of the Imperial Guards.
• Xue Zihan remembered Xu Yi’s promise as she examined the willow-shaped throwing knife he had given her.
• Qiu Wa appeared and asked Xue Zihan when they would find Bearded Uncle, then vanished when she sensed someone approaching.
• Three women visited Xue Zihan, and the purple-clad girl praised her beauty.

At the Seven Sects Dao Discussion selection on Dragon Head Peak, exhausted Xue Zihan faced another deadly arena fight after surviving three rounds. Senior Sister Lu tried to exploit her desperation by selling her overpriced pills, but Xue Zihan refused, provoking Lu and her two companions.

• Xue Zihan had survived three Death Arena bouts, but her supplies and strength were nearly spent before her next fight.
• Full Moon Face and Demure Young Lady entered with Senior Sister Lu and mocked Xue Zihan’s beauty and prospects.
• Senior Sister Lu offered Xue Zihan pills for fifteen thousand gold, presenting herself as a helpful senior while seeking a profit.
• Xue Zihan refused the pills and told Senior Sister Lu to leave, rejecting her threats to withhold help.
• Full Moon Face and Demure Young Lady cursed Xue Zihan and sprang at her after she stood her ground.

Xue Zihan decided to withdraw from the next day’s arena battle and leave Dragon Head Peak, but Steward Chen summoned her to serve wine at Elder Liufeng’s banquet. When Elder Liufeng demanded that she sing and dance, a guest intervened by invoking his father’s imminent arrival.

• Xue Zihan sent away three visitors who threatened to disturb her rest, then comforted Qiu Wa, who offered her the money Xu Yi had left behind.
• After reflecting on her attachments, Xue Zihan resolved to withdraw from the arena battle, take Qiu Wa back to Xu Yi, and later return to Lingxiao Pavilion to die.
• Senior Sister Lu introduced Xue Zihan to Steward Chen, who ordered her to change clothes and serve wine at Elder Liufeng’s banquet as a chance to join the Upper Three Heavens.
• Steward Chen escorted Xue Zihan to Mingwu Hall, where Elder Liufeng called on her to perform a song and dance.
• Xue Zihan said she did not know how, and a guest warned Venerable Liufeng not to spoil the mood because the guest’s father might arrive soon.

Xue Zihan asked Zhou Shirong for help when Elder Liufeng tried to take advantage of her, and Zhou Shirong agreed to intervene despite his reluctance. The old ghost occupying Zhou Shirong's body feared Xu Yi would punish him if he abandoned a woman he believed was connected to Xu Yi, so he began a risky plan to get her away.

• Elder Liufeng ordered Xue Zihan to pour wine and reached for her, but she turned to Zhou Shirong and secretly asked him to help her escape.
• The old ghost occupying Zhou Shirong's body recognized Xue Zihan and recalled how he had suspected that she and Xu Yi were involved.
• The old ghost decided he had to help Xue Zihan and warned her to follow his cues, adding that she would have to repay whatever it cost him.
• Zhou Shirong recited a poem and steered the conversation toward his supposed misfortune, while Elder Liufeng and the others praised him and reassured him about Zhou Daogan's prospects.

Zhou Shirong tried to persuade Zhang Liufeng to give him Xue Zihan, but Zhang stalled and kept her under guard. Zhou then decided to contact Xu Yi, while Xue Zihan sent a message of her own from her room.

• Zhou Shirong praised Zhang Liufeng and offered him ten thousand gold for Xue Zihan.
• Zhang Liufeng refused to give Xue Zihan an immediate answer and had her taken to the black tower under guard.
• Zhou Shirong found Xue Zihan's lodging and considered using force, but feared exposing his identity and attracting a manhunt.
• Zhou Shirong decided to message Xu Yi, hoping to draw him to Dragon Head Peak and possibly make him clash with Zhang Liufeng.
• Xue Zihan closed her door and sent a message to a flower by the window.

Xue Zihan tried to send Qiu Wa away, then faced Elder Liufeng’s advances by threatening to kill herself rather than submit. Xu Yi contacted her and said he was heading to Dragon Head Peak to protect her, leaving Xue Zihan worried for his safety but glad to hear from him.

• Xue Zihan offered Qiu Wa a game that would send her to surprise her master, but Qiu Wa refused and vanished to play with bunnies.
• Elder Liufeng visited Xue Zihan and declared his intention to win her over, then tried to embrace her.
• Xue Zihan drew her Sonic Flying Daggers and demanded that Elder Liufeng send a bridal sedan the next evening; he agreed and left.
• Xue Zihan used the communication orb Xu Yi had given her, and Xu Yi told her he was on his way to Dragon Head Peak.
• Xue Zihan urged Xu Yi not to come, but he said he would protect her and see Qiu Wa while he was there.

Snow Beauty told the little girl that Xu Yi was coming, and the girl eagerly waited near the practice field. Ghostfire Venerable spotted her disguised as a flower, identified her as a demon plant, and attacked as she fled underground.

• Snow Beauty told the little girl that Xu Yi would arrive soon, and the girl spent the night excitedly waiting to see him.
• The little girl traveled through the forest to the practice field and hid as a flower in a giant tree while waiting for Xu Yi.
• Ghostfire Venerable led his disciples to the practice field, planning to abduct a talented white-robed woman for Ghost Slaying Sect.
• Red Ghost spotted the little girl disguised as a flower, and Ghostfire Venerable ordered his group to capture her.
• The little girl fled underground, but Ghostfire Venerable hurled two crimson beads that set the surrounding ground ablaze.

Ghostfire Venerable and the six ghosts hunted Qiu Wa after discovering she was a plant demon who could transform and cast spells. As they overwhelmed her, Qiu Wa tried to escape underground, determined to fight back despite her fear.

• Ghostfire Venerable used the six ghosts and their Earth Breaking Art to drive Qiu Wa out of hiding.
• Ghostfire Venerable realized Qiu Wa could take human form and ordered the six ghosts to capture her alive.
• Qiu Wa used stones and dirt to attack the group, then concealed Sonic Flying Daggers in the storm and struck Red Ghost and Purple Ghost.
• When martial artists approached, Ghostfire Venerable ordered the group to stop holding back and attack Qiu Wa.
• The six ghosts battered Qiu Wa with shock waves, and she cried before summoning more rocks and plunging toward the earth.