Chapter Summaries

Xu Yi negotiated a duel with the Third Holy Son, demanding the Saint Clan’s Point Origin Secret Method as a wager for the Sheep Fat Jade Pure Bottle. After Kong Canglan accepted the terms, Xu Yi began the fight by diving into the sea, where the Third Holy Son pursued him within a ten-mile boundary.

• Xu Yi explained why killing the Third Holy Son would bring him little benefit, while Chong Xuzi and Sect Leader Zhu debated his judgment.
• Xu Yi secretly handed Sect Leader Zhu a Sumeru Ring of odds and ends, making the Third Holy Son believe the Sheep Fat Jade Pure Bottle had been secured before the duel.
• Xu Yi demanded the Saint Clan’s Point Origin Secret Method as the wager, provoking the Kong family and forcing Kong Canglan and Kong Dongge to weigh the risk.
• Kong Canglan accepted Xu Yi’s terms, and Xu Yi reclaimed the Sheep Fat Jade Pure Bottle before diving into the sea.
• The Third Holy Son agreed to a ten-mile boundary, swept the area with his divine will, and pursued Xu Yi using the Splendid Art.

Xu Yi used A Li’s underwater abilities to defeat the Third Holy Son, leaving the onlookers baffled by the sudden explosion and fatal dagger strike. After the others departed, Xu Yi revealed how he had arranged the ambush and praised A Li’s divine ability.

• The Third Holy Son was caught in a powerful underwater explosion, then impaled himself on the Dark Obsidian Dagger as he sped toward the surface.
• Xu Yi emerged from the sea, swore an oath to Kong Canglan, and watched Kong Canglan and Kong Dongge carry the wounded Third Holy Son away.
• Sect Leader Zhu praised Xu Yi and left with Chong Xuzi, who reminded Xu Yi that he owed him a punch when he reached True Core.
• Xu Yi traveled far beneath the sea with the Gale Cloak and called A Li’s divine ability remarkable.
• Xu Yi explained that he had arranged for Yuan Tiansi to supply Extreme Water Beads and for A Li to bring the beads and Dark Obsidian Dagger to aid him in secret.

Xu Yi returned to Holy Radiance City, studied the Sheep Fat Jade Pure Bottle and the Saint Clan's secret art, and resumed his cultivation plans. A wedding invitation from an unexpected figure from his past led him to reconsider attending and settle that old connection.

• Xu Yi explained how A Li had used the Extreme Water Bead and Dark Obsidian Dagger to kill the Third Holy Son, then praised A Li for studying his books.
• Xu Yi sent A Li back to the Demon Domain and returned to Holy Radiance City in disguise to await news from Gao Ziyang.
• Xu Yi tested the colorless liquid from the Sheep Fat Jade Pure Bottle and felt it strengthen his body and soul.
• Xu Yi realized Kong Canglan's secret art required Saint Clan cultivation he could not pursue, so he shelved it and focused on cultivating his fire-element Heavenly Origin Seed.
• Xu Yi received a wedding invitation from someone from his past and decided it might be better to attend and settle their connection.

Qu Ying married Gong Xiuhua in a small wedding, and her parents worried that the modest gathering reflected poorly on their daughter. Xu Yi arrived as an honored guest, bringing Star Officials whose presence made the wedding more impressive, while Father Qu remained unaware of Xu Yi’s true standing.

• Mother Qu complained that Qu Ying’s wedding had few distinguished guests, but Father Qu reminded her that Gong Xiuhua cared for their daughter.
• Qu Ying hurried her parents to the West Flower Hall and introduced Xu Yi as her chief and a close friend.
• Xu Yi recalled his complicated past with Gong Xiuhua, including their conflict, Gong Xiuhua’s Yin Cha Worm, and Xu Yi’s role in helping him overcome the family struggle.
• Xu Yi had accepted Qu Ying’s invitation after learning she and Gong Xiuhua had married to avoid her being forced into concubinage.
• Father Qu treated Xu Yi respectfully because his Star Official guests made the wedding seem less humble, though he privately doubted Xu Yi would reach the Yang Venerate realm.

At Gong Xiuhua and Qu Ying's wedding, Qu Mingtong arrived with a powerful entourage and tried to take Qu Ying away for Qu Feiyang. Qu Ying refused to leave her new husband and challenged the Qu Household to disown her.

• Xu Yi and the wedding guests rushed outside after Qu Mingtong's forces demolished the Gong estate's gate and courtyard wall.
• Qu Mingtong demanded that Qu Ying be taken away, while Mother Qu defended the marriage she had already made to Gong Xiuhua.
• Qu Mingtong humiliated Gong Xiuhua by introducing the prominent guests and praising Qu Feiyang's status and cultivation.
• Qu Feiyang claimed he would make Qu Ying his primary wife, though he had not obtained his father's approval and only lusted after her.
• Qu Ying declared that she belonged to the Gong Household and told Qu Mingtong to remove her from the Qu clan register if he forced her to leave.

Gong Xiuhua’s wedding guests arrived with lavish gifts and honors, culminating in a decree appointing him Deputy Director of the Discipline Hall. He was left bewildered and unsure how his fortunes had changed so dramatically, while suspecting Xu Yi might somehow be involved.

• Qu Feiyang humiliated Gong Xiuhua by arguing that he and Qu Ying were worlds apart, but guests soon arrived to congratulate Gong on the wedding.
• Representatives of Elder Qi and Spring Wind Sect presented gifts, surprising the Qu family and restoring Gong Xiuhua’s standing.
• Meng Tian arrived on behalf of his father, offered a generous gift, and congratulated Gong Xiuhua and the Qu family.
• Elder Yu proclaimed the Path Venerable’s edict appointing Gong Xiuhua Deputy Director of the Discipline Hall, a Fourth-rank Star Official.
• Gong Xiuhua wondered whether Xu Yi was behind his sudden honors, then dismissed the possibility as too extraordinary.

Qu Mingtong and Qu Feiyang reconsidered their attempt to claim Qu Ying after Duke of Song arrived with the powerful Inner Court Envoy, Kong Zhang, and took control of Gong Xiuhua’s estate. Xu Yi refused to move and openly insulted Kong Zhang, leaving the gathering poised for violence.

• Qu Mingtong and Qu Feiyang weighed a compromise over Qu Ying before Duke of Song arrived with Kong Zhang.
• Qu Feiyang explained the dispute, and Duke of Song confronted Qu Mingtong about Qu Ying’s broken engagement.
• Duke of Song introduced Kong Zhang as the Holy Clan’s Inner Court Envoy, prompting Qu Mingtong to threaten Gong Xiuhua and take over her estate for a banquet.
• Kong Zhang ordered everyone to remain at the estate, and Gong Xiuhua quietly sought a chance to escape with Qu Ying.
• Xu Yi stood in the way and accused Qu Mingtong and Duke of Song of acting as Kong Zhang’s lackeys, enraging them.

Xu Yi watched Kong Zhang kill Qu Mingtong and Qu Feiyang, then force Duke of Song to apologize before helping arrange Gong Xiuhua and Qu Ying’s wedding. He later visited the Number One Under Heaven Sect, quietly parted from old acquaintances, and left after asking Gong Xiuhua to look after Steward Fang and Zhao Wuliang.

• Kong Zhang killed Qu Mingtong and Qu Feiyang when they threatened or questioned Xu Yi, then demanded that Duke of Song apologize to him.
• Xu Yi accepted Kong Zhang’s offer to help make Gong Xiuhua and Qu Ying’s wedding grand, then left the gathering.
• Kong Zhang ordered Gong Xiuhua and Father Qu to hold a lavish wedding and ensure the important guests attended.
• Xu Yi visited Cold Sun Peak and listened to Zhao Wuliang and Steward Fang recount their progress at the Number One Under Heaven Sect.
• Xu Yi asked Gong Xiuhua to look after Steward Fang and Zhao Wuliang, then left under the stars and crushed several communication beads.

Xu Yi obtained a map to the Netherfire Abyss from Hu Chunyou and gave him two poems in return before leaving to explore the Abyssal Chasm. After Xu Yi departed, Hu Chunyou congratulated a newcomer on opening the Consciousness Repository Palace and advancing to the fifth rank.

• Gao Ziyang delivered eighty-one sets of mid-grade Five Elements Spirit Stones to Xu Yi, who then traveled back to the Demon Domain.
• Xu Yi visited Hu Chunyou, who gave him a map showing the Netherfire Abyss lay where the four seas met.
• Hu Chunyou asked Xu Yi for poems to present at the East Sea Demon Domain lord's banquet, and Xu Yi gave him a poem and a lyric.
• Xu Yi declined to attend the banquet because he planned to explore the Abyssal Chasm, then left Hu Chunyou's residence.
• A newcomer appeared after Xu Yi left, and Hu Chunyou congratulated him on opening the Consciousness Repository Palace and reaching the fifth rank.

Xu Yi traveled toward the Netherfire Abyss and stopped at Starry Canyon, where Feng Jiu, Tu Min, Jiuhuang, and Hu Chunyou ambushed him. The map was genuine, but the four intended to kill Xu Yi before he could reach his destination.

• The young lord pressured Hu Chunyou into accompanying him to Starry Canyon to help kill Xu Yi.
• Xu Yi bought supplies, studied the Netherfire Abyss map, and traveled for two days toward Starry Canyon.
• Xu Yi stopped before the canyon, cooked and ate for several hours, then lay down to rest.
• Feng Jiu, Tu Min, Jiuhuang, and Hu Chunyou surrounded Xu Yi, and Hu Chunyou confirmed the map was real.
• Jiuhuang taunted Xu Yi and revealed that they had used Hu Chunyou and a map from Yellow Wind Territory to lure him into their trap.

Feng Jiu and his allies ambushed Xu Yi at Starry Canyon, but Xu Yi struck first and killed Lord Jiuhuang and Tu Min while surviving Feng Jiu’s attacks. Feng Jiu fought on, unable to understand how Xu Yi’s offense and defense could be so powerful.

• Feng Jiu, Tu Min, and Lord Jiuhuang waited in concealment for Xu Yi, who stopped to cook hot pot and sleep before entering Starry Canyon.
• Lord Jiuhuang confronted Xu Yi, and Hu Chunyou asked him for poems and offered to fulfill his last wishes.
• As the sea filled with the light of Starry Radiance, Xu Yi struck Lord Jiuhuang with five sword attacks and killed him.
• Feng Jiu attacked Xu Yi with his Dark Gold Evil while Tu Min charged, but a streak of dark light entered Tu Min’s eye and killed him.
• Feng Jiu’s attacks left Xu Yi unharmed, while Xu Yi’s sword strikes forced Feng Jiu to evade as the battle continued.

Xu Yi trapped and defeated Feng Jiu after A Li warned him of the ambush at Starry Gorge. He learned that A Li was a rare Water Source Demon and questioned Feng Jiu about the fifth-rank Consciousness Repository Palace.

• Xu Yi’s Restriction Formation trapped Feng Jiu, and repeated Sword Qi strikes left him badly wounded.
• Feng Jiu revealed A Li’s presence with a burst of baleful intent, then pleaded for a truce after recognizing him as a Water Source Demon.
• Xu Yi healed A Li with Hu Chunyou’s demonic core, restoring him to full strength.
• Feng Jiu explained that Source Demons were rare elemental beings and that A Li could blend into water, while a Consciousness Repository Palace helped fifth-rank demons sense demonic essence and conceal themselves.
• Xu Yi learned that A Li had warned him about the ambush, allowing him to lure Feng Jiu into a formation he had secretly prepared.

Xu Yi explained the formation and A Li’s vulnerability, then refused to let Feng Jiu leave and gave him time to recover before fighting again. Feng Jiu transformed and attacked, but Xu Yi emerged unhurt and countered with Sword Qi.

• Xu Yi asked Feng Jiu how A Li had been injured, and Feng Jiu explained that the Source Demon became vulnerable when it gathered in one place to attack.
• Xu Yi thanked Feng Jiu for the explanation, then offered him time to recover before resuming their fight.
• Feng Jiu pleaded with Xu Yi to end the battle, but Xu Yi waited out the recovery time without answering.
• Feng Jiu transformed into a giant bird and attacked Xu Yi with his tail, claws, and beak.
• Xu Yi laughed off Feng Jiu’s assault and unleashed more than ten swords of Sword Qi as Feng Jiu fought back.

Xu Yi defeated Feng Jiu, learned that Fifth-order Great Demons could expose his human disguise by sensing the lack of demonic essence in his Sword Qi, and decided to keep Feng Jiu alive. After revealing his identity and explaining that he wanted a secret technique connected to the Netherfire Abyss, Xu Yi asked Feng Jiu what he knew about it.

• Xu Yi stopped his sword assault after Feng Jiu fell near death and questioned him about recognizing his disguise.
• Feng Jiu explained that Xu Yi's Sword Qi lacked demonic essence, which Fifth-order Great Demons could detect through their Consciousness Repository Palaces.
• Xu Yi used the Sheep Fat Jade Pure Bottle to heal Feng Jiu and said he would spare his life.
• A Li appeared in shock when Xu Yi confirmed he was human, then said that Xu Yi was still his master.
• Xu Yi revealed that he had gone undercover to obtain a secret technique and named the Netherfire Abyss as his goal.
• Feng Jiu accused Xu Yi of trying to trick him again when Xu Yi asked what he knew about the Netherfire Abyss.

Xu Yi forced Feng Jiu to help secure his cooperation in entering the Netherfire Abyss, while A Li planted Water Source Marks in both Feng Jiu’s Consciousness Repository Palace and Origin Palace. Feng Jiu revealed that a Fire Washing Robe was needed to approach the Abyss, but a summons to the Master’s Spring Welcome Banquet interrupted Xu Yi’s plans.

• Xu Yi threatened Feng Jiu until Feng Jiu agreed to cooperate after Xu Yi swore a Heart Oath not to harm the Demon Race for now.
• Feng Jiu proposed that A Li plant a Water Source Mark in his Consciousness Repository Palace, and A Li also marked his Origin Palace.
• Xu Yi assured Feng Jiu that A Li would remove the marks when Xu Yi left the Demon Domain, and Feng Jiu explained that a Fire Washing Robe could protect someone seeking Fire Spirit Power in the Netherfire Abyss.
• Xu Yi dissolved the restrictive formation and prepared to leave, but a Winter Palace Envoy summoned him and Feng Jiu to the Master’s Spring Welcome Banquet.
• Feng Jiu recognized the Winter Palace Envoy’s seal and lamented his misfortune.

Xu Yi decided to attend the Winter Palace gathering despite the danger of exposing his human identity, hoping it would help him reach the Netherfire Abyss. Feng Jiu flew him to the Winter Palace, where Xu Yi entered a strange domain and was directed through a green gate.

• Feng Jiu explained that the Winter Palace Envoy had summoned Xu Yi at the East Sea Region lord's request, and Xu Yi weighed the risks of attending the gathering.
• Feng Jiu advised Xu Yi to act like a refined scholar while staying alert for powerful demons who might see through him, and Xu Yi chose to go.
• Xu Yi gave A Li the demon cores of Tu Min and Jiu Huang, then rode on Feng Jiu's giant-bird form toward the Winter Palace.
• Feng Jiu led Xu Yi into a white building that served as the only entrance to the Winter Palace, and formations transported them into its domain.
• A green-clad page led Xu Yi through corridors where his divine sense could not spread, then invited him to enter a glowing green gate.

Xu Yi entered a grand spring gathering and was greeted by admirers who called him the Love Seeker. After Meng Tianchang challenged his reputation, Wen Bin questioned whether Xu Yi could have authored works with such varied styles.

• Xu Yi gave the pageboy in green a handwritten copy of Autumn River Snowy Night and learned that he had been specially summoned to a gathering welcoming spring.
• Xu Yi entered the hall, where female demon admirers recognized him as the Love Seeker and crowded around him.
• Meng Tianchang introduced himself and challenged Xu Yi, but Xu Yi said he had never heard of him, prompting his admirers to mock Meng.
• Wen Bin of the North Sea praised Meng Tianchang's work and questioned whether the varied styles of Xu Yi's writings could all have come from one person.

At the spring banquet, Wen Bin, Fan Xingyun, and Meng Tianchang challenged Xu Yi’s literary reputation, but he refused to defend himself. Long Jingxiu explained that Xu Yi only accepted contests with a wager, then revealed his wager was the contestants’ lives, leaving Fan Xingyun to answer whether he would accept.

• Wen Bin and Fan Xingyun questioned whether Xu Yi had written the celebrated works credited to him and demanded a contest.
• Xu Yi declined to explain himself and went to eat grapes, while Wen Bin and Meng Tianchang accused him of taking undeserved credit.
• Long Jingxiu arrived with another woman and defended Xu Yi, explaining that he required a wager to prevent people from challenging him for fame.
• Fan Xingyun offered to stake everything he owned in a contest, and Long Jingxiu revealed that Xu Yi required challengers to stake their lives.
• Long Jingxiu asked Fan Xingyun whether he would accept the life-or-death wager and said Xu Yi had no objection.

Long Jingxiu defended Xu Yi from scholars challenging his reputation, then took him aside to discuss her feelings for him. Xu Yi gently rejected her and admitted that the famous works credited to him had not actually been written by him.

• Long Jingxiu challenged Fan Xingyun, Wen Bin, and Meng Tianchang to stake their lives on their accusations against Xu Yi, and the scholars backed down.
• Long Jingxiu criticized the scholars for seeking fame by smearing Xu Yi, while the female demon fans joined in condemning them.
• Long Jingxiu pulled Xu Yi away from the gathering and brought him to an illusory snowy mountaintop for tea.
• Long Jingxiu revealed that her Eldest Sister had invited Xu Yi and intended to use him to temper her heart against temptation.
• Xu Yi told Long Jingxiu that he loved someone else and admitted that the famous poems and works attributed to him were not his own.
• Long Jingxiu understood Xu Yi's confession as a considerate attempt to spare her deeper heartache and felt content that he cared about her.

Xu Yi attended the Eastern Sea’s Spring Welcome Banquet, where the Lord of the Eastern Sea failed to appear. King Yongdong Long Jianji arrived and demanded to know where Long Jingtian was, then took a place beside the throne.

• Long Jingxiu told Xu Yi that the Spring Welcome Banquet was beginning and warned him not to eat food offered by others.
• Xu Yi entered the immortal palace and took a seat near the throne among more than a thousand guests.
• Chancellor Gui Lun announced that the Lord of the Eastern Sea would not attend because of urgent affairs.
• A messenger announced the arrival of Niu Li, Tu Kun, and King Yongdong Long Jianji, stirring the hall.
• Long Jianji challenged Gui Lun over Long Jingtian’s absence and said he would eat before speaking with him.
• Long Jianji started toward the throne, and Gui Lun ordered a Golden Dragon Throne brought for him beside the steps.