Chapter Summaries

After Bai Qigu broke through to Outer Scenery at the Yingcheng martial event, Meng Qi and the others discussed the importance of advancing through Unity of Heaven and Man. Mi Zijing invited them to the Mi Family residence, where they met Prince Jin, Zhao Yi, and an unknown man whose strength they could not discern.

• Wang Zai apologized to Meng Qi for the Mi Family using the martial event to give Bai Qigu a chance to advance, but Meng Qi said witnessing her breakthrough had benefited him.
• Yan Chong and the others discussed the different paths taken by Unity of Heaven and Man experts, and Meng Qi guessed He Jiu would challenge opponents in succession to build momentum for a breakthrough.
• After the event ended without further challenges, Mi Zijing invited Meng Qi, Yan Chong, Wang Zai, and Chu Yunyu to the Mi Family residence to meet a friend.
• At the residence, Mi Zijing introduced his sister Mi Ziting, Bai Wenyuan, Prince Jin Zhao Yi, and a black-clad man whose depth the guests could not discern.
• Zhao Yi greeted the Human Ranking experts and said he had come to Yingcheng to observe the Feast of Xingyun.

Meng Qi and Yan Chong stopped a sword dancer’s assassination attempt against Prince Jin Zhao Yi at Mi Zijing’s feast. The feast ended amid signs of turmoil in the Imperial Family, and Meng Qi left wondering about the attack’s purpose before asking Wang Zai to help him contact Mi Zijing.

• Zhao Yi welcomed Meng Qi, Yan Chong, Wang Zai, and Chu Yunyu to Mi Zijing’s feast and discussed Divine Capital and the Feast of Xingyun.
• A troupe performed a sword dance, but Meng Qi sensed the leading dancer’s killing intent and attacked as she lunged at Zhao Yi.
• Yan Chong joined Meng Qi in stopping the assassin, while Eunuch Feng subdued her and Zhao Yi thanked the two men.
• Mi Zijing reported that the Crown Prince had arrived in Yingcheng, and Zhao Yi ended the feast as tension within the Imperial Family came to light.
• Wang Zai and Meng Qi questioned the assassin’s motives, and Meng Qi asked Wang Zai to help him reach Mi Zijing.

Meng Qi used a favor from the Mi family to consult ancient records and report Mythos and the Wolf King to the Six Doors. On his way back, he witnessed a child being abducted and tracked the kidnappers to the Yingcheng Beggars Sect, where he confronted its branch leader.

• Meng Qi asked Wang Zai and Mi Zijing to look up ancient place names, but neither found the location of Worry-Free Valley.
• Mi Zijing took Meng Qi to the Yingcheng Six Doors, where Meng Qi filed a report about Mythos and the Wolf King before searching the archives.
• Meng Qi left the Six Doors and noticed a beggar abduct a small boy amid the New Year crowds.
• Meng Qi pursued the kidnapper through the streets and followed an underground passage to a secluded courtyard occupied by beggars.
• The Six Bags beggar leading the Yingcheng branch denied that the kidnapper had entered, and Meng Qi drew his saber and declared that he would handle the matter.

Meng Qi uncovered a Beggars Sect dungeon, killed the kidnappers, and freed their captives. A captured beggar’s account suggested the missing Hall Master had gone to help an injured friend leave Yingcheng, possibly the Wolf King, while Xuan Zhen arrived and agreed to escort the survivors to the Six Doors.

• Meng Qi confronted the Six Bags beggar and defeated him and the surrounding Beggars Sect members after they threatened him.
• Meng Qi entered the dungeon, killed its guards, and learned that the Hall Master had left to help an injured friend obtain Spiritual Medicine and escape Yingcheng.
• Meng Qi freed the kidnapped children, women, and men and led them out of the dungeon.
• Meng Qi met Xuan Zhen in the courtyard and learned that the Shaolin monk would not interfere with his punishment of the evildoers.
• Meng Qi asked Xuan Zhen to guide the survivors through the tunnel to the Six Doors so the Beggars Sect could not retaliate, and Xuan Zhen agreed.

Meng Qi, Jiang Zhiwei, and Wang Zai tried to surround the injured Wolf King, but found his hideout empty and suspected he had been warned. The Wolf King had actually been rescued by a masked woman, who gave him medicine and asked him to help her deal with someone.

• Meng Qi told Jiang Zhiwei that Mythos was targeting him and Qi Zhengyan, and that he had found traces of the Wolf King.
• Jiang Zhiwei met He Jiu, who praised her newly opened Nine Apertures and looked forward to their future contest.
• Jiang Zhiwei found the Wolf King's hideout and recruited Meng Qi and Wang Zai to join her in surrounding him.
• The three found the hideout empty, though Wang Zai discovered the Wolf King had left only minutes earlier.
• The Wolf King asked a masked woman why she had rescued him and given him medicine, and she said she wanted his help dealing with someone.

Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei encountered Crown Prince Zhao Qian at the Mid-Mountain Pavilion, where he argued that seeking political power could help him free the people from suffering. Zhao Qian challenged Meng Qi to withstand the five Pure Land masters for twenty moves, with a favor at stake.

• Wang Zai, Jiang Zhiwei, and Meng Qi failed to find a lead on the Wolf King and agreed to continue searching through their respective contacts.
• Meng Qi invited Jiang Zhiwei to tour Misty Rain Mountain, and they discussed whether he should visit a temple while the Crown Prince stayed at Puxian Zhai.
• Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei met Crown Prince Zhao Qian, Divine Monk Huayan, and five Pure Land masters at the Mid-Mountain Pavilion.
• Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei questioned Zhao Qian's Buddhist convictions, and he defended his pursuit of power as a way to bring liberation to all living beings.
• Zhao Qian wagered that if Meng Qi could endure twenty moves against the five masters, he would grant Meng Qi a favor; if Meng Qi lost, he would owe Zhao Qian a favor.

Meng Qi refused Zhao Qian’s wager but challenged the five monks on his own terms. As the fight began, the monks’ linked Zen technique let them share strength and pressure Meng Qi, who evaded their coordinated attacks and struck at Master Leopard; the battle remained unresolved.

• Meng Qi rejected the wager despite the eunuch’s taunts and Zhao Qian’s offer, explaining that he would fight only when he chose.
• Meng Qi challenged Dragon, Elephant, Tiger, Leopard, and Peng, and Master Dragon accepted on their behalf.
• The five monks joined their auras and True Qi through a Zen technique that gave each of them strength comparable to Unity of Heaven and Man.
• Meng Qi drew Heaven’s Wound and fought the monks, redirecting their attacks and using footwork to avoid being surrounded.
• The monks coordinated attacks from five directions, but Meng Qi leapt over their strikes and slashed down at Master Leopard, disrupting their pure Zen intent.

Meng Qi discovered that Dragon, Elephant, Tiger, Leopard, and Peng combined their power through an invisible Buddha formed from incense and prayers, then used his saber to break their unity and defeat them. He ended the fight in seventeen moves and asked Jiang Zhiwei to confirm the count.

• Meng Qi struggled to escape the five monks’ coordinated attacks and realized he needed to disrupt the force linking them.
• Meng Qi used Heaven’s Wound to expose the invisible Buddha formed from the monks’ vows and the power of incense and prayers.
• Meng Qi struck at the invisible Buddha with the Ananda Breaking Precepts Saber Art, breaking the monks’ serenity and their combined formation.
• Meng Qi borrowed Master Dragon’s strength to defeat Master Elephant, then sealed Master Leopard’s acupoints with the Azure Nether Void-Stepping Finger.
• Meng Qi stunned and defeated Masters Dragon, Tiger, and Peng, bringing the fight to an end.
• Meng Qi asked Jiang Zhiwei how many moves the fight had taken, and she answered that it was seventeen.

Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei explored Yingcheng, learned of its imperial history, and met Wang Siyuan, who hinted that the Zhao princes were pursuing power and the throne. At Xiuyue Pavilion, Nian Xue relayed a message from Gu Xiaosang that left Meng Qi stunned.

• Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei left Zhao Qian after defeating him, then climbed to Yingcheng's summit and learned from Jiang Zhiwei that the city had once been the Kang dynasty's capital.
• At Wo Xin Temple, Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei found Wang Siyuan, who suggested that Zhao Qian and Zhao Yi were seeking power and the throne but offered no clear explanation of Yingcheng's rumors.
• Jiang Zhiwei returned to the Sword Washing Pavilion to await her senior uncle, while Meng Qi went to the Mi Family to ask about the rumors.
• Meng Qi joined Mi Zijing, Bai Wenyuan, and Wang Zai on a visit to Xiuyue Pavilion, where the courtesan Nian Xue approached him.
• Nian Xue called Meng Qi “Dad” and explained that Gu Xiaosang had asked her to deliver a question word for word.

Meng Qi learned that a mysterious scholar visiting Xiuyue Pavilion was likely Old Zhongtou, a Mythos member who had once devoured Xiao Yue, and decided to watch for him. He also heard several legends about the Han Family’s hidden inheritance and Secret Treasure before leaving the pleasure boat with Wang Zai.

• Meng Qi was embarrassed when Nian Xue’s whispered words made Mi Zijing and Bai Wenyuan assume he had unusual tastes, while Wang Zai defended him.
• Nian Xue described a gloomy, forty-year-old scholar who visited at noon, drank while she played the qin, and called her “Xiao Yue”; Meng Qi suspected the man was Old Zhongtou.
• Nian Xue said the scholar had first visited more than two months earlier and had returned that very day, prompting Meng Qi to connect his arrival to Old Zhongtou’s escape from Dongyang Branch Mansion.
• Mi Zijing told Meng Qi several legends about Emperor Ai, the Han Family’s inheritance, and a possible Secret Treasure hidden around Yingcheng.
• Meng Qi left to warn Jiang Zhiwei and arrange surveillance of Xiuyue Pavilion, asking Wang Zai to help him.
• As Meng Qi departed, Nian Xue repeated a young lady’s message calling him “a good monk.”

Meng Qi met Green Lotus Young Master Liu Su on the Tianxiu River, learned that Thief King Sikong Tu had failed to appear for their duel, and warned Liu Su about Old Zhongtou. After reporting the danger to Jiang Zhiwei and noticing Mi Zijing meet a suspicious man, Meng Qi received a letter directing him to Chaotic Grave Valley to find the Demon's whereabouts.

• Meng Qi joined Liu Su for wine on the Tianxiu River and warned him that Old Zhongtou had appeared in Yingcheng; Liu Su said Sikong Tu had missed their arranged duel.
• Liu Su used his sword to propel the skiff to shore, and Meng Qi went to Sword Washing Pavilion to tell Jiang Zhiwei about Old Zhongtou.
• Jiang Zhiwei told Meng Qi that Uncle Hong had arrived in Yingcheng.
• Meng Qi saw Mi Zijing meet a wary black-robed man with a bulbous red nose, then returned to Xingyun Manor without intervening.
• After considering whether Mythos would target him and why Old Zhongtou was in Yingcheng, Meng Qi received a letter directing him to Chaotic Grave Valley for the Demon's whereabouts.

Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei investigated Grave Valley, where they found the drained corpses of the Crown Prince’s five monks and the red-nosed intermediary, along with clues linking Thief King Sikong Tu to a struggle over a former dynasty’s Secret Treasure. Meng Qi later found the gravely wounded Sikong Tu hiding in a woodshed, where Sikong Tu offered him a great fortune in exchange for agreeing to something.

• Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei followed tracks into Grave Valley and discovered the drained bodies of Dragon Elephant Tiger Leopard Peng.
• They found the red-nosed man who had met Mi Zijing, then identified a bloodied Plum Blossom Nail as Thief King Sikong Tu’s weapon.
• Meng Qi pieced together that Sikong Tu had uncovered a Secret Treasure from the previous dynasty and drawn the Crown Prince and Prince Jin into a contest over it.
• Qian Kai and Hong Qian reported that Sikong Tu and the Mythos agents pursuing him had vanished from their trails.
• Meng Qi went to seek information from the Green Lotus Young Master, heard a groan in a nearby courtyard, and found the wounded Sikong Tu in a woodshed.
• Sikong Tu told Meng Qi that the Demoness had ambushed him again and offered him a great fortune if he agreed to one thing.

Meng Qi accepted Sikong Tu’s request to sell the True Emperor Seal, but chose the Karma Secret Art as his fee when Sikong Tu transferred his karma to him. After Sikong Tu died and the seal was revealed, Meng Qi decided to hide it and let the rival factions suspect one another.

• Sikong Tu explained that he had found the True Emperor Seal and asked Meng Qi to sell it to one of the princes, splitting the reward with his family.
• Meng Qi agreed to take on the task and began swearing a Primordial Spirit Oath.
• Sikong Tu used a Karma Secret Art to transfer his karma to Meng Qi, binding him to the task.
• Meng Qi paused his oath and agreed to surrender half the reward in exchange for the secret art.
• Sikong Tu burned to ash, leaving the True Emperor Seal behind, and Meng Qi resolved to hide it while the Crown Prince, Prince Jin, and Mythos suspected one another.

Meng Qi reflected on the True Emperor Seal and the dangers tied to Ananda Breaking Precepts Saber Art, then attended the Feast of Xingyun as Prince Jin questioned him about the Crown Prince’s dead associates. Wang Siyuan warned him of an approaching Great Tribulation, and the chapter ended with He Jiu challenging four young experts at once.

• Meng Qi dismissed the True Emperor Seal’s value, considered the mysteries of Ananda Breaking Precepts Saber Art, and resolved to master karmic arts so he could face and sever entangled karma.
• Meng Qi quietly told Jiang Zhiwei about the seal, then kept out of the princes’ affairs as New Year’s Eve and the Feast of Xingyun arrived.
• Prince Jin Zhao Yi asked Meng Qi about the Crown Prince’s five dead masters and Sikong Tu’s disappearance, and Meng Qi recounted the events without revealing Mythos.
• Wang Siyuan told Meng Qi that the Great Tribulation was approaching and warned him to be especially careful as his fortunes flourished.
• He Jiu challenged Meng Qi, Yan Chong, Xuan Zhen, and Liu Su to fight him all at once, shocking the guests as fireworks marked the new year.

He Jiu stunned the Feast of Xingyun by challenging four Human Ranking experts at once, then expanded the fight to include Meng Qi. He Jiu unleashed sword qi from nearly every major acupoint, leaving Meng Qi facing a storm of deadly attacks.

• He Jiu challenged Green Lotus Young Master Liu Su, Buddha Heart Palm Xuan Zhen, Yan Chong, and Meng Qi to fight him together.
• Liu Su and Xuan Zhen engaged He Jiu, who held them off with separate streams of sword qi while the battle stirred changes in the weather.
• He Jiu attacked Yan Chong with sword qi from his mouth, and Yan Chong countered with his saber as He Jiu used more sword qi to restrain him.
• He Jiu targeted Meng Qi with sword qi from his eyes, but Meng Qi dodged and countered with his saber, nearly striking He Jiu.
• He Jiu released sword qi from 364 major acupoints, surrounding Meng Qi and the other fighters with a deadly barrage.

He Jiu broke through to Exterior Scenery during his duel with Meng Qi and the others, while Wang Siyuan used He Jiu’s Heavenly Tribulation to reveal his own breakthrough. As the new year began, Meng Qi resolved to catch up with them and defeat Wang Siyuan one day.

• He Jiu unleashed Sword Qi against Meng Qi, Yan Chong, Xuan Zhen, and Liu Su, while the Exterior Scenery experts protected the spectators from the clash.
• At Hong Qian’s prompting, Jiang Zhiwei attacked He Jiu with Yama’s Post, but He Jiu’s Sword Qi erupted again and stopped her blade.
• Wang Siyuan stepped in to strike He Jiu as He Jiu’s Sword Qi surged, and a Heavenly Tribulation descended on He Jiu.
• He Jiu survived the lightning and returned to the hall in the Exterior Scenery realm.
• Wang Siyuan borrowed the scattered lightning to endure his own Yin Fire tribulation, then returned to his seat after breaking through as well.
• The rain stopped and fireworks marked the new year as Meng Qi resolved to catch up with He Jiu and Wang Siyuan.

At the Feast of Xingyun, He Jiu and Wang Siyuan both broke through to Outer Scenery, while Wang Siyuan warned Meng Qi that a calamity was coming. As Mythos attacked Crown Prince Zhao Qian at Misty Rain Mountain, the manor’s experts rushed to help, leaving Meng Qi alone just as darkness descended around him.

• He Jiu and Wang Siyuan ascended to Outer Scenery, and the Feast of Xingyun began winding down.
• Jiang Zhiwei planned to return to Sword Washing Pavilion and cultivate, while Meng Qi planned to leave Yingcheng and cultivate in seclusion.
• Wang Siyuan told Meng Qi he would face a calamity soon, then left without explaining further.
• Masked Mythos attackers ambushed Zhao Qian at Misty Rain Mountain, and Zhao Qian resisted their arts and sent up a distress signal.
• Qian Kai, He Jiu, and Gongyang Hao rushed to Misty Rain Mountain, leaving the manor without experts nearby.
• Meng Qi realized he was alone, drew his saber, and saw darkness descend around him.

Meng Qi fought the Wolf King inside a darkness that blinded and deafened him, using Heaven's Wound and Flowing Fire to sense and parry the attacks. He unleashed Heaven's Wrath, Five Thunders Strike the Top to break the darkness, and the chapter ended as the Wolf King transformed his body into a killing sword and met Meng Qi's descending saber.

• The Wolf King ambushed Meng Qi in darkness, and Heaven's Wound automatically moved to protect him.
• Meng Qi fused his spirit with Heaven's Wound and reached Unity of Heaven and Man, allowing him to block the Wolf King's attacks despite being unable to see or hear.
• The Wolf King struck Meng Qi with a five-finger attack and a murderous finger, while Meng Qi countered with Purple Thunder Strength and Flowing Fire.
• The Wolf King knocked aside Flowing Fire and broke Meng Qi's ribs, but Meng Qi used his injury to land a counterattack.
• Meng Qi ignited Heaven's Wound with the Body Sacrifice Art and unleashed Heaven's Wrath, Five Thunders Strike the Top, breaking the darkness.
• The Wolf King revealed himself and transformed his body into a sword of killing intent, raising his left hand to meet Meng Qi's saber.

Meng Qi drove off the wounded Wolf King, then faced Ze Luoju, who revealed that he had waited in Yingcheng to kill him before Meng Qi could reach Outer Scenery. Just as Ze Luoju prepared to strike, Gu appeared as an Outer Scenery expert and called Meng Qi her husband.

• Meng Qi used Heaven Strikes with Five Thunders against the Wolf King, breaking his left hand and forcing him to retreat.
• Meng Qi faked a pursuit and an unseen threat, convincing the Wolf King to flee while he concealed how little strength he had left.
• Meng Qi suspected the Wolf King had colluded with Mythos and that another enemy was waiting to finish him off.
• A dead Yingcheng martial artist landed before Meng Qi, and Ze Luoju appeared and explained that he had come to kill Meng Qi before he entered Outer Scenery.
• As Ze Luoju prepared to draw his saber, Gu descended amid white lotuses, revealed her Outer Scenery strength, and claimed Meng Qi as her husband.

Gu Xiaosang rescued Meng Qi from Ze Luoju and took him away, explaining her plans for the True Emperor Seal and the Demon Master Han Guang. Their journey was interrupted when a mysterious bearded senior took Meng Qi from the carriage, leaving Gu Xiaosang behind.

• Gu Xiaosang appeared at Xingyun Manor, threatened Ze Luoju into leaving, then carried the exhausted Meng Qi away.
• He Jiu and Gongyang Hao investigated the battle site, while Jiang Zhiwei returned with Hong Qian to search for Meng Qi.
• Crown Prince Zhao Qian recovered at the Yingcheng County Office, and the members of "Mythos" discussed the missing True Emperor Seal and the absent Wolf King.
• On the carriage, Gu Xiaosang told Meng Qi she had used the True Emperor Seal to try to draw out Demon Master Han Guang, whom she suspected was a Kang Dynasty remnant.
• A bearded man appeared at the moving carriage window and took Meng Qi away; Gu Xiaosang watched with a dark, unreadable expression.