Chapter Summaries

Gu Fengchen wore down Yan Ci’s Saber Intent while conserving his strength, leaving Yan Ci desperate to turn the fight around. Yan Ci cut his wrist and began coating his saber with essence blood, preparing to use a technique that would trade a bodily cost for temporary power.

• Gu Fengchen used his rapid Dou Qi recovery and teleportation to outlast Yan Ci’s Saber Intent without taking serious injuries.
• Yan Ci realized his offensive was weakening and warned Gu Fengchen that the battle was not yet decided.
• Yan Ci raised his saber and cut his own wrist, drawing essence blood.
• Yan Ci’s essence blood flowed around his saber and began adhering to its surface.
• Gu Fengchen recognized that Yan Ci was preparing a technique that overtaxed the body for a temporary increase in strength.

Gu Fengchen survived Yan Ci’s desperate Life-Ending Saber Strike with his Indestructible Golden Body, recovered his strength, and killed Yan Ci. He held Yan Ci’s head aloft as the battle ended.

• Yan Ci drained his life force to unleash an overwhelming saber strike that buried Gu Fengchen beneath rubble.
• Yan Ci mocked the silent Jia Ma Empire soldiers, but Gu Fengchen emerged alive, protected by his Indestructible Golden Body.
• Gu Fengchen swallowed a Tier 4 Medicinal Pill and quickly restored his Dou Qi as Yan Ci lost hope.
• Gu Fengchen drew the Red Plum Sword and charged at the helpless Yan Ci.
• Gu Fengchen severed Yan Ci’s head and held it aloft.

Gu Fengchen killed Yan Ci, breaking the Snake People Tribe's morale and forcing its army to withdraw from Desert City. Yaoye and Nalan Su assessed their losses as they prepared for another assault, suspecting that Chu Yun Empire reinforcements would soon arrive.

• Gu Fengchen displayed Yan Ci's head and rallied the Jia Ma Empire's Defending Army, while the Snake People Tribe's formation fell into chaos.
• Nan She ordered the Snake People army to withdraw and regroup rather than continue its assault.
• The Jia Ma Empire's soldiers cleared the battlefield and repaired the city's defenses as Gu Fengchen watched the enemy camp.
• Yaoye asked Nalan Su about the battle's losses, and he reported that twelve hundred men had died and the cannons and ballistae had suffered heavy damage.
• Yaoye and Nalan Su suspected that Chu Yun Empire experts would arrive and increase the pressure on their forces.

Gu Fengchen rallied the Jia Ma Empire’s soldiers to hold Desert City until reinforcements arrived. At the Myriad Scorpion Sect, Xie Sanshi stopped his father Xie Shan from killing the last surviving soldier and questioned him about Gu Fengchen’s strength.

• Gu Fengchen volunteered to intercept Chu Yun Empire’s reinforcements while calling for the Jia Ma Imperial Family to send more troops.
• A commander encouraged the soldiers to defend Desert City, saying Gu Fengchen could stop Nan She if he returned.
• Soldiers reported Gu Fengchen’s power and the deaths of the Chu Yun Empire’s Dou Emperor experts to Xie Shan.
• Xie Shan ordered the returning soldiers killed for fleeing without permission, and all but Hu San were beheaded.
• Xie Sanshi intervened to spare Hu San and asked him how strong Gu Fengchen was.

Xie Sanshi persuaded Xie Shan to let him lead a force against Desert City, claiming the Jia Ma Empire had insulted the Myriad Scorpion Sect. Xie Shan approved a force of fifteen hundred troops for a raid, leaving Xie Sanshi to test his ambition as a commander.

• Hu San recounted the battle to Xie Sanshi, who learned that his target had only recently entered the Dou Emperor realm.
• Xie Sanshi asked Xie Shan for troops to capture Desert City and avenge the Myriad Scorpion Sect’s fallen experts.
• Xie Sanshi requested three thousand men, but Wu Ya warned about the logistical burden and Xie Shan capped the force at fifteen hundred.
• Xie Sanshi outlined a composition of cavalry, archers, saber soldiers, armored soldiers, and spearmen, proposing a rapid raid on Desert City.
• Xie Shan praised Xie Sanshi’s plan and agreed to let him lead the expedition.

Xie Shan let Xie Sanshi lead an expedition to Desert City, dismissing the flaws in his son’s plan because he expected the troops to serve as expendable cannon fodder while two Five-Star Dou Emperors protected him. Meanwhile, Gu Fengchen reflected on the deaths and diseases afflicting the war-torn world.

• Xie Shan ordered Hu San to accompany Xie Sanshi to Desert City and help him seize it.
• Wu Ya pointed out flaws in Xie Sanshi’s plan, including the difficult terrain, the heavy troops, and the lack of surprise.
• Xie Shan admitted he did not expect the plan to succeed and said he had assigned two Five-Star Dou Emperors to protect Xie Sanshi.
• Xie Shan ignored the preparations for war and left with Ling'er and Xiu'er, jokingly offering them to Wu Ya.
• In Desert City, Gu Fengchen thought about the many soldiers dying young and listed several diseases afflicting the world.

Gu Fengchen reflected on the hardships of ordinary people while recovering in Desert City with Yaoye at his side. At the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Shan told Yun Yun it was time for her to recruit a husband, leaving her surprised and shy.

• Gu Fengchen considered the poverty endured by most people in the Jia Ma Empire and hoped to prevent the border war from causing higher taxes.
• Yaoye entered Gu Fengchen's room, comforted him, and urged him to rest after their joint defense of Desert City.
• Gu Fengchen reassured Yaoye that the Snake People Tribe was unlikely to attack that night.
• At the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Shan watched Yun Yun beside a heating kettle and told her it was time to recruit a husband.
• Yun Yun reacted with surprise and felt embarrassed by Yun Shan's suggestion.

Yun Yun considered her feelings for Gu Fengchen while Yun Shan urged her to consider a marriage proposal from the Jia Ma Imperial Family’s Third Prince. She left without resolving the disagreement and worried that Gu Fengchen no longer saw her as important.

• Yun Shan told Yun Yun that he had declined the Third Prince’s proposal until he heard her opinion, and Yun Yun rejected the match.
• Yun Shan praised the Third Prince’s talent and questioned whom Yun Yun considered worthy, while Yun Yun compared him unfavorably with Gu Fengchen.
• Yun Shan realized Yun Yun was thinking of Gu Fengchen and warned her that the boy was not a suitable match for her.
• Yun Yun left Yun Shan and walked down the mountain with her maid, saying that she might not be important to Gu Fengchen.
• Yun Yun compared herself with Nalan Yanran, Yaoye, and Xiao Yi Xian, then lamented that her former threats no longer worked now that Gu Fengchen was a Dou Emperor.

Yun Yun worried that Gu Fengchen no longer cared about her, while Gu Fengchen dreamed about Yaoye before waking to find the princess asleep in his arms. He lay stunned beside her as morning light filled the room.

• Yun Yun admitted to her maid that she was too embarrassed to contact Gu Fengchen first, and the maid reassured her that affection did not depend on usefulness.
• After secretly kissing Yaoye, Gu Fengchen went to bed and dreamed that she slipped beneath his blanket and playfully wrestled with him.
• Gu Fengchen woke at dawn with a numb arm and discovered Yaoye curled against his chest, asleep with her head resting on his arm.

Gu Fengchen woke beside Yaoye, then joined her for breakfast before asking about Nalan Jie's condition. They went to the sickroom and found Nalan unconscious and bleeding from more than a hundred wounds that medicine could not heal.

• Gu Fengchen pretended to sleep while Yaoye woke, complained about his behavior, and kissed his cheeks and forehead before leaving to coordinate the situation.
• Gu Fengchen got dressed and ate breakfast with Yaoye, who had changed into military attire.
• Gu Fengchen asked Yaoye how Nalan Jie was doing, and she told him they should go see him.
• Gu Fengchen and Yaoye found Nalan Jie unconscious in the sickroom, with more than a hundred bleeding wounds.
• The Imperial Physician found that Nalan Jie's wounds would not stop bleeding and that medicine had no effect.

Gu Fengchen treated Nalan Jie’s severe injuries with silver needles and Heavenly Flames. Before the treatment was complete, a soldier warned that the Snake People Tribe had launched another attack with reinforcements, including Poison Masters from the Chu Yun Empire and controlled Gu Beasts.

• Gu Fengchen cleared the room and treated Nalan Jie’s wounds with needles, medicinal ointment, and the Blue Gold Emperor Flame.
• Nalan Jie endured the painful treatment, coughed, and spat out black blood as more than half his injuries healed.
• A Jia Ma Empire soldier reported that the Snake People Tribe was attacking again with numerous helpers.
• Gu Fengchen went to the city wall, where Yaoye explained that Chu Yun Empire Poison Masters had arrived with many controlled Gu Beasts.

Gu Fengchen assessed the Snake People Tribe and Chu Yun Empire forces threatening the Jia Ma Empire, then joined a war council debating who should lead the assault on Saint Paul City. He proposed dealing with the Gu beasts before finalizing a counterattack plan.

• Mofeng, an Early Dou Emperor and Snake People Tribe Elder, arrived with the tribe’s forces as Gu Fengchen worried the conflict would overwhelm the Jia Ma Empire.
• Gu Fengchen saw that the Chu Yun Empire had brought powerful Gu beasts and numerous magical beasts to the valley.
• Nalan Fu demanded the vanguard position, citing his army’s battle experience against the Luoyan Empire.
• Jia Fude argued that the Jia Ma Imperial Family’s trained heavy infantry should lead the main assault.
• After Yaoye nodded, Gu Fengchen said he would handle the Gu beasts before they made a counterattack plan.

Gu Fengchen assessed the overwhelming Snake People and Chu Yun Empire forces and revised the defense of Desert City. He proposed luring some enemies inside to trap them, and Nalan Fu volunteered to lead the deadly vanguard.

• Gu Fengchen gave Nalan Fu orders for the planned attack and defensive positions, then marked supply points on the sand table.
• Soldiers reported that the enemy forces and their top experts far exceeded Gu Fengchen’s estimates.
• Gu Fengchen warned that the original plan risked leaving Desert City isolated and surrounded.
• Gu Fengchen proposed allowing part of the enemy force into the city so they could be trapped and defeated.
• Nalan Fu volunteered to lead the vanguard, accepting the likelihood that the soldiers sent out would not survive.

The Snake People Tribe launched a massive assault on Desert City from every direction, catching Gu Fengchen and Yaoye off guard. As the city was engulfed in dust and surrounded by enemy forces, it faced an unprecedented crisis.

• Gu Fengchen realized the Snake People Tribe soldiers, rather than the gu beasts, had taken the vanguard, and suspected Chu Yun Empire was aiding them rather than acting as an equal partner.
• Gu Fengchen urged Yaoye to leave before the army surrounded Desert City, but she took his hand and refused to abandon him.
• As the civilians hid in their homes, horns sounded and Snake People Tribe forces charged toward Desert City from all sides.
• Gu Fengchen and Yaoye were surprised by the scale of the assault, while the attacking formations obscured the enemy's true target.
• Mofeng led a legion bearing a banner marked with the character for "seal" as dust and smoke engulfed Desert City.

Mofeng led a Snake People Tribe force through Desert City’s lightly guarded South City Gate, hoping to strike at the Jia Ma Empire’s heart. He sensed something was wrong but pressed on with the cavalry, determined to break through any resistance.

• Mofeng marched with his army toward Desert City, seeking glory by striking at the enemy’s heart.
• South Gate sentinels joked and drank while waiting for their shift to end, leaving the defenses lax.
• The sentinels heard horns and realized the Snake People Tribe was attacking the South City Gate.
• Mofeng and his elites charged through the gate and raced along the city streets, seizing key routes.
• Mofeng suspected a trap but ordered his well-trained cavalry to keep advancing at full speed.

Mofeng’s Snake People forces charged into Desert City, where Gu Fengchen’s traps and hidden crossbowmen ambushed them. The attack left the vanguard crippled and bleeding as the assault on the city began.

• Mofeng’s forces advanced rapidly into Desert City, bypassing the Hidden Sentinels Gu Fengchen had placed as scouts.
• The leading Snake People warriors suddenly collapsed in pain as concealed attacks struck them.
• Mofeng realized the danger came from the ground, but thin, poisoned leather ropes burst from the dust between the bluestones and sliced the vanguard’s legs.
• Hidden fighters in the houses fired magically enhanced poisoned crossbow bolts at the fallen Snake People.
• Gu Fengchen’s ambush filled the street with cries and blood as the Snake People warriors suffered heavy losses.

The Jia Ma Empire ambushed the Snake People Tribe in Desert City with poison arrows and a volley of crossbow bolts, inflicting heavy casualties. After the Nalan Clan and Mu Clan elites charged, Mofeng’s warriors recovered from the attack and rushed to meet them.

• Jia Ma Empire soldiers fired crossbow bolts and poisoned arrows at the Snake People Tribe warriors trapped by leather ropes.
• A Snake People Tribe warrior shielded Mofeng from a hidden archer’s shot and died.
• Mofeng’s warriors formed a shield line, but dense arrows wounded and killed many of them.
• Jia Ma Empire forces charged, led by direct descendants of the Nalan Clan and Mu Clan whom Gu Fengchen had selected.
• Mofeng’s subordinates regained their composure and charged the Jia Ma Empire warriors.

Jia Ma Empire soldiers and Snake People Tribe warriors fought a brutal battle through Desert City, with Mofeng leading the defenders as they drove back the surprise attack. The Snake People Tribe soldiers cleared the houses and tripwires from the streets, and Mofeng charged forward to continue the fight.

• Jia Ma Empire soldiers and Snake People Tribe warriors clashed in the streets, and several hundred fell in the opening exchanges.
• The Snake People Tribe soldiers recovered from the sneak attack, formed defensive positions, and counterattacked under Mofeng's orders.
• Snake People Tribe warriors raised their shields against the arrows and stormed the houses to flush out hidden Jia Ma Empire soldiers.
• The Snake People Tribe soldiers paid with many lives as they swept both sides of the street and weakened the hidden attacks.
• Mofeng's soldiers cut through Gu Fengchen's tripwires, and Mofeng charged at the front after shouting, "Kill!"

Mofeng led the Snake People Tribe's Vanguard through a fierce ambush in Desert City, breaking the Jia Ma Empire soldiers' resistance with a counterattack. They advanced toward the central Combat Base, where the chance to surround and destroy the enemy seemed close.

• Mofeng charged through the street and killed five Jia Ma Empire soldiers hiding in houses.
• Mofeng ordered his army to advance in formation, believing the enemy had exhausted its tricks.
• A Snake People Tribe archer shot a Mu Clan member before he could attack Mofeng with his rune-etched Great Bow.
• The Snake People Tribe soldiers fired repeated volleys that inflicted heavy casualties on the Jia Ma Empire ambushers and suppressed their return fire.
• Mofeng led the Vanguard several dozen meters toward the Combat Base in central Desert City.

Mofeng led the Snake People Tribe deeper into the long street despite the Jia Ma Empire’s strange whistle signals and suspected ambush. He charged ahead with Southern King, where the enemy’s next move remained unknown.

• Mofeng ordered the Snake People Tribe to charge, but a Signal Arrow sounded and the houses along the street abruptly shut their windows.
• A shrill whistle came from a wooden building, and Mofeng ordered his warriors to fire arrows at its source, killing the Jia Ma Empire soldier who had given the command.
• The whistle sounded again from another building, raising Mofeng’s suspicions, but he chose to advance rather than retreat or wait.
• Mofeng unleashed his Dou Emperor aura and led the charge down the street with Southern King, who wielded a golden Horse-Cutting Saber.