Chapter Summaries

Big Beard Zhu accused Feng Ting Shu of stealing the Hidden Spirit Pearl and revealed evidence that Feng Ting Shu had known about it. Feng Ting Shu denied the theft and blamed Xu Yi, leaving the court divided over the accusation.

• Big Beard Zhu recounted how Feng Ting Shu had attacked him, stolen his Sumeru Ring, and fled into the Shouyang River.
• Feng Ting Shu denied knowing about the Hidden Spirit Pearl and challenged Big Beard Zhu's accusation.
• Big Beard Zhu presented a Shadow-Sound Pearl recording that showed Feng Ting Shu discussing the Hidden Spirit Pearl with him.
• Feng Ting Shu admitted seeing the pearl but denied stealing it, then accused Xu Yi of framing him.
• Xu Yi mocked Feng Ting Shu's excuses and suggested that Feng Ting Shu might have given the pearl to someone else.

Xu Yi dismantled Feng Ting Shu’s accusation and argued that Feng was the only person who could have lured Zhu Yuxiang out to steal the Hidden Spirit Pearl. As Deputy Director Zhao and Xu Mingyuan argued over Zhao’s role, Feng Ting Shu suddenly claimed the pearl was in the courtroom.

• Xu Yi explained that he could not have known the details of Zhu Yuxiang and Feng Ting Shu’s private conversation or known the Hidden Spirit Pearl existed.
• Zhu Yuxiang urged Feng Ting Shu to surrender the pearl, while Feng asked for his Sumeru Ring and residences to be searched.
• Feng Ting Shu appealed to Deputy Director Zhao, who defended him by arguing that the accusations lacked physical evidence.
• Xu Mingyuan accused Zhao Tingfang of protecting Feng because he was guilty, and Zhao demanded that Xu openly accuse him of stealing the pearl.
• Feng Ting Shu announced that the Hidden Spirit Pearl was in the courtroom.

Feng Ting Shu accused Xu Yi of possessing the Hidden Spirit Pearl and pushed for an inspection of his Sumeru Ring. As the officials considered the demand, Xu Yi recast Feng Ting Shu’s accusation as an attempt to shield Deputy Director Zhao, leaving the hall unsettled.

• Feng Ting Shu accused Xu Yi of having the Hidden Spirit Pearl and argued that inspecting Xu Yi’s Sumeru Ring could reveal it.
• Deputy Director Zhao supported the inspection, while Xu Mingyuan considered the proposal and looked to Guan Zongyuan for a decision.
• Xu Yi applauded Feng Ting Shu’s scheme and suggested that Feng was trying to protect someone else and make Xu Yi a scapegoat.
• Xu Yi claimed Feng Ting Shu hoped Deputy Director Zhao would repay him for accepting blame and diverting suspicion.
• Feng Ting Shu grew chilled as Xu Yi’s explanation swayed the hall and made his accusation appear to serve Deputy Director Zhao.

Xu Yi outmaneuvered Feng Ting Shu in the Hidden Spirit Pearl case and cleared suspicion by letting Xu Mingyuan inspect his Sumeru Ring. He returned to the First Division, where Leng Xing’s attempt to rally the staff against him collapsed when he appeared.

• Xu Yi allowed Xu Mingyuan to inspect his Sumeru Ring, which contained no Hidden Spirit Pearl, and Feng Ting Shu lost hope as Director Qin delivered the verdict.
• Xu Yi left the hall, having hidden the Hidden Spirit Pearl, the Soul-Summoning Banner, and the Undying Elder's belongings, then headed for Snow Plum Ridge to lie low.
• Leng Xing heard that Xu Yi had been implicated in the theft and called a First Division meeting to assert his authority and undermine Xu Yi.
• Zhao Xing arrived during Leng Xing’s speech and told him that Steward Feng had been sent to the Nether Prison and Deputy Director Zhao had lost face.
• Xu Yi entered the meeting and calmly confronted Leng Xing, who became visibly frightened.

Xu Yi attended Leng Xing’s gathering and forced him to abandon his opposition and hand over the Boundary Barrier Pearl. Meanwhile, Qiu Dao Ming hosted fellow Huaixi examination graduates, whose conversation turned to Xu Yi and the Hidden Spirit Pearl case, leaving Qiu ready to tell them the full story.

• Xu Yi confronted Leng Xing at the First Division meeting, and Leng Xing claimed he had gathered everyone to urge them to follow Xu Yi’s orders.
• Leng Xing gave Xu Yi the Boundary Barrier Pearl, saying it rightfully belonged to him.
• Qiu Dao Ming hosted several fellow examination graduates aboard a dragon boat at Jifeng Hall in Bayi City.
• Yang Jun urged the group to support Xu Yi, while Fei Si and Li Tong pointed out that Yang Jun had not heard about Xu Yi’s role in the Hidden Spirit Pearl case.
• Qiu Dao Ming agreed to recount the case, which he knew through his cousin in the Discipline Department.

Gong Xiuhua analyzed how Xu Yi might have stolen the Hidden Spirit Pearl and manipulated the investigation to his advantage, though everyone treated the theory as a joke. Meanwhile, Xu Yi studied the pearl and cultivation at the Ten Thousand Treasure Library, where he learned more about the pearl and the difficulty of advancing beyond the Yin Venerate Realm.

• Qiu Dao Ming recounted the courtroom events, and Gong Xiuhua wondered whether Xu Yi had taken the Hidden Spirit Pearl.
• Gong Xiuhua explained how Xu Yi could have redirected suspicion toward Deputy Director Zhao and gained Deputy Director Guan's favor by allowing Deputy Director Xu to owe him one.
• Yang Jun joked that Xu Yi could not have made a plan so brilliant, while the group noted they could not explain how Xu Yi knew about the pearl or overheard Feng Ting Shu and Big Beard Zhu.
• Xu Yi spent six days studying the Hidden Spirit Pearl and cultivation at the Ten Thousand Treasure Library, spending nearly thirty thousand spirit stones.
• Xu Yi learned that the Hidden Spirit Pearl had been refined from Divine Flood Dragon Mirage Qi and could record images for endless playback.
• Xu Yi realized that breaking through the Yin Venerate Realm was extremely difficult, and that some experts remained there for decades without progress.

Xu Yi studied the Yin Venerate Realm, learned the significance of his Taiji Halo, and was appointed Deputy Head Official of the First Section. After returning to Cold Sun Peak, he found someone kneeling outside the main hall whose back looked familiar.

• Xu Yi concluded that he would train his soul thoughts to strengthen his True Soul before attempting to cultivate in a Thunder Spirit Land.
• Xu Yi learned that his Taiji Halo meant his Yin Soul and Earth Soul had fully merged, stabilizing his True Soul and extending his lifespan.
• Xu Yi inferred that cultivation set the ceiling for official rank and recognized that his current position was below what his cultivation could support.
• Wang Fengqi told Xu Yi that Deputy Director Leng Xing would be transferred and that Xu Yi had been appointed Deputy Head Official of the First Section.
• Old Cai stopped Xu Yi at Cold Sun Peak and led him to the main hall, where Xu Yi saw a familiar-looking person kneeling.

Xu Yi returned to Cold Sun Peak, where Lie Yi begged forgiveness for helping Feng Ting Shu and bought peace with spirit stones. Xu Yi checked on Yan Zi and the Ice Fire Rabbit, then learned that the military advisor had an important report for him.

• Lie Yi kowtowed before Xu Yi and confessed that greed, not confusion, had led him to help Feng Ting Shu.
• Lie Yi offered Xu Yi twelve Five Elements Spirit Stones, and Xu Yi accepted them and let him leave in peace.
• Xu Yi asked Old Cai about Yan Zi and ordered more Precious Medicine, Qi Sea Stage cultivation manuals, and fresh fruit for her.
• Old Cai told Xu Yi that the military advisor had an important report for him.
• Xu Yi visited Su Xiao Ruo in the Spirit Gathering Array, gave the Ice Fire Rabbit Water and Fire element Spirit Stones, and watched it eat them before falling asleep.

Steward Fang told Xu Yi how the Number One Under Heaven Sect had grown under his leadership and urged him to recruit more Sincere Grade forces. He then explained that the mysterious Gloomy Forbidden Area was about to open, but its nature remained unclear.

• Steward Fang reported that the Number One Under Heaven Sect now commanded 308 Mid Soul Sensing Stage experts and 1,400 Late Condensing Liquid Realm experts, supported by new cities and congratulatory gifts.
• Steward Fang explained that Xu Yi's Second-rank Star Official status exempted the sect from ordinary recruitment restrictions, and that more than a hundred sects had gifted it nearly thirty thousand spirit stones.
• Steward Fang urged Xu Yi to recruit more Sincere Grade experts, and Xu Yi told him to select candidates carefully based on both cultivation and character.
• Steward Fang warned that the Gloomy Forbidden Area would soon open and explained that its strange fog concealed a dangerous place forbidden for many years.

Steward Fang explained the Gloomy Forbidden Area’s spirit-vein mining opportunity and urged Xu Yi to recruit strong miners by publicly demonstrating his authority. Xu Yi agreed to pursue the expedition and returned to the First Division, where Wang Fengqi called a meeting about the First Section’s missing operating funds.

• Steward Fang told Xu Yi that entry to the Gloomy Forbidden Area cost fifty thousand Spirit Stones per Star Official and that mining success was a gamble with better than even odds.
• Steward Fang pointed out that the area might contain rare Five Elements Spirit Stone Veins, and Xu Yi agreed to take part in the mining expedition.
• Steward Fang asked Xu Yi to use his authority to attract powerful Mid Soul Sensing Stage recruits, and Xu Yi said he had already decided to act.
• Xu Yi learned that the Gloomy Forbidden Area would open in a little over a month and returned from Cold Sun Peak to the First Division.
• Wang Fengqi summoned Xu Yi, Guan Shan, and Cao Jie to discuss the First Section’s missing monthly operating funds.

Xu Yi learned that Deputy Director Zhao had blocked the First Section’s funding and recruited Zhao Xing and Zhou Rui to investigate the members of Zhao’s household. The chapter ended as Master Nine arrived at Ten Fragrance Hall, where his usual table and dishes were ready.

• Wang Fengqi told Xu Yi that the First Section’s next-month funding had been withheld because Deputy Director Zhao had pressured the Household Registration Department.
• Xu Yi promised Wang Fengqi he would resolve the funding issue within three days.
• Zhao Xing and Zhou Rui brought Xu Yi tea and pastries, and Xu Yi asked what they knew about Deputy Director Zhao’s household.
• Zhao Xing and Zhou Rui agreed to share what they knew, provided Xu Yi would not drag them down if things went wrong.
• Xu Yi clarified that he wanted information about the members of Deputy Director Zhao’s household, not his family affairs.
• Master Nine arrived at Ten Fragrance Hall, and a waiter prepared his usual window-side table and three dishes.

Xiong Jiukui boasted that he would deal with Xu Yi, but Discipline Department officials arrested him for skipping work and disrupting the workplace. Xu Yi continued training his True Soul before Wang Fengqi summoned him to Hanchun Ridge, where Guan Shan praised his tactics.

• At a gathering, Feng Wu urged Xiong Jiukui to act against Xu Yi, and Xiong Jiukui vowed to snap Xu in half.
• Discipline Department officials arrived and summoned Xiong Jiukui for skipping work and holding a disruptive drinking party.
• When Xiong Jiukui shouted that Xu Yi was retaliating, the officials added an offense and arrested him with a Dragon Binding Rope.
• Xu Yi practiced analyzing the fire-element Talisman Pattern with his True Soul Figure, then received Wang Fengqi's order to attend a meeting at Hanchun Ridge.
• Xu Yi reached the meeting hall, where Guan Shan praised his move.

Xu Yi faced criticism from his colleagues for targeting Xiong Jiukui, while Xiong was released and then arrested again at Ten Fragrance Hall. Xu Yi headed to Number Three Prison to meet him and promised Zhao Xing that Third Young Master Zhao would not be able to cause trouble.

• Cao Jie mocked Xu Yi for going after Xiong Jiukui, while Wang Fengqi gave Xu three days to resolve the First Section's funding problem and said Xiong had been released.
• Xiong Jiukui returned to Ten Fragrance Hall and boasted that the Discipline Department had felt like his backyard.
• A Discipline Department official arrived with an order and arrested Xiong Jiukui again for skipping work and drinking during work hours.
• Zhao Xing told Xu Yi that Xiong had been arrested again and worried that Third Young Master Zhao might retaliate.
• Xu Yi told Zhao Xing he would prevent Third Young Master Zhao from causing trouble, then went to meet Xiong Jiukui at Number Three Prison.

Xu Yi kept Master Nine in custody by exploiting the Official Law and interrogated him about Third Young Master Zhao. After using the True Soul Thorn to break his resistance, Xu Yi told Master Nine that he had arranged everything so he would not have to worry or choose between Xu Yi and the Zhao family.

• Xu Yi visited Master Nine in the Discipline Department’s holding cells and explained that his repeated offense let Xu Yi keep him imprisoned.
• Master Nine claimed he had gone to Ten Fragrance Hall on official business, then accused Xu Yi of targeting him because of the Zhao family.
• Xu Yi demanded that Master Nine reveal incriminating information about Third Young Master Zhao and threatened him with the True Soul Thorn.
• Xu Yi inflicted the True Soul Thorn on Master Nine until he collapsed, then revived him with water.
• Xu Yi predicted Master Nine’s fears about betraying the Zhao family and said he had already arranged everything so Master Nine would not be put in a difficult position.

Xu Yi forced Master Nine to reveal that Third Young Master Zhao possessed a stolen Azure Dragon Jade Pendant, which Xu Yi intended to use as leverage against Deputy Director Zhao. Xu Yi took Master Nine along on an official search, while a young man accompanied by Guan Shan arrived at the First Division offices.

• Xu Yi explained that he wanted leverage to make Deputy Director Zhao stop targeting him, and threatened Master Nine until he agreed to cooperate.
• Master Nine revealed that Third Young Master Zhao had given his sister an Azure Dragon Jade Pendant stolen from the Prefectural Treasury.
• Xu Yi bluffed Master Nine with a supposed Heart Devouring Pill and confirmed that the information was true.
• Xu Yi took Master Nine from his cell as a participant in official business, then obtained a search warrant and gathered armored soldiers.
• Xu Yi left Snow Plum Ridge with his team, and a young man with a high crown and purple whiskers entered the First Division offices with Guan Shan.

Third Young Master Zhao confronted the First Division over Xu Yi’s arrest of Xiong Jiukui, but learned Xu had taken the prisoner to investigate a residence in the southern part of the city. The chapter ended with Xu confronting Zhao Bingkun and knocking Xiong Jiukui unconscious before he could reveal what he knew.

• Third Young Master Zhao went to the First Division demanding to see Xu Yi and questioned why Xiong Jiukui had been arrested again.
• Sun Changming told Zhao and Guan Shan that Xiong Jiukui was in the Third Cell, but they found the cell empty.
• Sun Changming contacted Xu Yi, who said Xiong Jiukui was assisting him with an investigation in the southern part of the city.
• Third Young Master Zhao rushed to the residence, where Xu Yi was leading Xiong Jiukui out of the main hall among black-armored soldiers.
• Zhao Bingkun accused Xu Yi of breaking into his residence, while Xiong Jiukui tried to assure Zhao he had not revealed his secrets.
• Xu Yi grabbed Xiong Jiukui by the neck and knocked him unconscious.

Xu Yi used the Azure Dragon Jade Pendant and Zhao Bingkun’s panicked flight to seize him and take him into custody. Meanwhile, Deputy Director Zhao sought refuge in Zhao Garden, where an urgent visitor interrupted his quiet evening.

• Xu Yi confronted Zhao Bingkun over the Azure Dragon Jade Pendant and summoned him to the Discipline Department.
• When Xu Yi mentioned events in the north of the city, Zhao Bingkun panicked and tried to flee, but Xu Yi subdued and bound him.
• Xu Yi ordered soldiers to escort Zhao Bingkun to the main hall and told Xiong Jiukui to repay three thousand spirit stones for the fine Xu Yi had paid.
• Deputy Director Zhao discussed his troubles over chess with Mr. Liu in Zhao Garden.
• A figure rushed into Zhao Garden and ran across the water, interrupting Deputy Director Zhao and Mr. Liu.

Deputy Director Zhao learned that Xu Yi had arrested Third Young Master Zhao and consulted Mr. Liu on how to retaliate. They decided to seek Guan Zongyuan’s help with a bribe of one hundred thousand spirit stones, and the chapter ended as Xiong Jiukui arrived to explain what had happened.

• A messenger reported that the Discipline Department had taken Third Young Master Zhao into custody after Xu Yi arrested Xiong Jiukui.
• Deputy Director Zhao and Mr. Liu debated Xu Yi’s motives and agreed that he should not be underestimated.
• Mr. Liu proposed winning Guan Zongyuan over so they could remove Xu Yi from his post and free Third Young Master Zhao.
• Mr. Liu advised offering Guan Zongyuan one hundred thousand spirit stones, though Deputy Director Zhao balked at the expense.
• Xiong Jiukui arrived, knelt before Deputy Director Zhao, and began apologizing before Mr. Liu urged him to report what had happened.

Xiong Jiukui reported how he had revealed the Azure Dragon Jade Pendant to Xu Yi, while Deputy Director Zhao and Mr. Liu debated whether to eliminate Xu Yi. In Number Three Prison, Xu Yi confronted Third Young Master Zhao with the evidence and warned that conviction could destroy his promising career.

• Xiong Jiukui recounted his capture and admitted that Xu Yi had learned about the Azure Dragon Jade Pendant before sending him back to Deputy Director Zhao.
• Deputy Director Zhao had Xiong Jiukui taken to the private prison, then asked Mr. Liu to assess Xu Yi's intentions.
• Mr. Liu urged Deputy Director Zhao to follow their plan and eliminate Xu Yi, while Deputy Director Zhao resisted spending one hundred thousand spirit stones.
• Deputy Director Zhao received a communication and decided to make a trip himself, relieved that he believed Xu Yi could no longer cause trouble.
• Xu Yi woke Third Young Master Zhao in Number Three Prison and confronted him with the jade pendant, Xiong Jiukui's testimony, and the risk of losing his position and future in the Zhao family.

Xu Yi pressured Third Young Master Zhao into contacting his father, then took his communication pearl and Sumeru Ring. Third Young Master Zhao’s father secretly visited the prison and learned that Xu Yi had evidence linking his son to corpse refining.

• Xu Yi threatened to file charges and revoke Third Young Master Zhao’s Official Status, forcing him to call his father.
• After the call, Xu Yi seized Third Young Master Zhao’s communication pearl and Sumeru Ring, then left the prison cell.
• A man in crimson robes arrived at Number Three Prison and sealed the cell with a Boundary Barrier Pearl.
• Third Young Master Zhao told his father that Xu Yi had evidence about the Azure Dragon Jade Pendant, Xiong Jiu’s testimony, and corpse refining.
• Third Young Master Zhao admitted that he had used Xiong Jiukui to obtain blood for his silver corpse, and his father scolded him for pursuing the forbidden art.