Chapter Summaries

Jiang Wang and Wang Yiwu both ascended to the Inner Palace in perfect completion after their duel. Wang Yiwu then unleashed his Soldier Lord Supernatural Power, summoning a hundred mounted warriors to attack Jiang Wang.

• Chongxuan Sheng killed the Dream Flower shopkeeper with a shard of broken sword to try to disrupt Wang Yiwu's ascension and give Jiang Wang an opening.
• Jiang Wang chose not to interrupt Wang Yiwu and began his own ascension, clearing the Fog of Ignorance with his Three Talents sword forms.
• Jiang Wang's Divine Soul entered his first Inner Palace, where his fiery red Divine Ability Seed flew into his embrace.
• Jiang Wang and Wang Yiwu completed their ascensions, and Wang Yiwu declared that Jiang Wang was finally worthy of facing his Soldier Lord Supernatural Power.
• Wang Yiwu summoned a hundred mounted warriors from the Soldier Sha as war drums thundered.

Jiang Wang burned away Wang Yiwu’s hundred Soldier Sha riders with the Samadhi True Fire, then created a new Human Dao Sword Style and pressed his advantage. He ended the chapter with a fierce sword slash aimed at Wang Yiwu’s neck.

• Chongxuan Sheng struggled to restore his strength while Jiang Wang faced Wang Yiwu’s hundred charging Soldier Sha riders alone.
• Jiang Wang unleashed the Samadhi True Fire, burning the riders and forcing Wang Yiwu to sever the Soldier Sha links before the flames reached him.
• Jiang Wang taunted Wang Yiwu after his Supernatural Power defeated the Soldier Lord in their one-on-one clash.
• Jiang Wang drew on his youthful pride and created his fourth Human Dao Sword Style, Youthful Frivolity.
• Jiang Wang shattered Wang Yiwu’s fist force with a blazing sword strike and slashed toward his neck.

Jiang Wang nearly defeated Wang Yiwu, but the God of War’s protective treasures and intervention stopped him from killing his opponent. Jiang Mengxiong’s arrival broke the Silent Decapitation Order, and Chongxuan Chuliang demanded an explanation after finding Chongxuan Sheng badly injured.

• Jiang Wang’s sword broke through Wang Yiwu’s defense, but a Life-Saving Tiger Tally repelled him and restored Wang Yiwu’s resolve.
• Wang Yiwu launched his strongest Inner Palace punch, but Jiang Wang’s Helpless Sword pierced his injured fist and exposed its bones.
• Jiang Wang’s next thrust shattered Wang Yiwu’s Heart-Protecting Mirror, while Wang Yiwu struck Jiang Wang and sent him flying.
• Jiang Mengxiong appeared through the mirror fragments, stopped Jiang Wang’s sword, and broke the Silent Decapitation Order on Chongxuan Sheng.
• Jiang Mengxiong’s anger stirred the skies above Linzi, and Chongxuan Chuliang arrived to demand an explanation after finding Chongxuan Sheng nearly crippled.

After Wang Yiwu’s attack on Chongxuan Sheng, Chongxuan Chuliang and Chongxuan Yunbo confronted Jiang Mengxiong and demanded justice. The dispute ended with Han Ling directing Zheng Shi to clear the area, while Zheng Shi wondered whether the Qi Emperor would curb Jiang Mengxiong’s influence.

• Chongxuan Sheng accused Wang Yiwu of trying to kill him with the Silent Decapitation Order and appealed to Jiang Mengxiong as Grand Marshal.
• Jiang Mengxiong asked Chongxuan Chuliang to discuss the matter privately, but Chongxuan Chuliang refused and defended his nephew.
• Jiang Mengxiong tried to justify protecting Wang Yiwu, but Chongxuan Chuliang argued that his second brother’s family line could not be replaced.
• Chongxuan Yunbo arrived and challenged Jiang Mengxiong, then asked Han Ling to seek the Qi Emperor’s judgment on whether the Marquis of Bowang should lose his title.
• Jiang Mengxiong ordered Zheng Shi to secure the area, but Zheng Shi said he answered only to the Qi Emperor; Han Ling then asked him to clear the perimeter.
• Zheng Shi obeyed Han Ling and wondered whether the Qi Emperor shared his concern about Jiang Mengxiong’s excessive influence.

Jiang Mengxiong punished Wang Yiwu for attacking Chongxuan Sheng, but Chongxuan Sheng revealed the cost of the attack when he told Chongxuan Chuliang that Wang Yiwu had killed Shi Si. The chapter left Chongxuan Sheng in tears as the others realized he would not accept the punishment as a sufficient resolution.

• Chongxuan Sheng pressed Wang Yiwu to take responsibility for the attack and made clear that Jiang Wang had acted to save him.
• Jiang Mengxiong acknowledged Wang Yiwu’s guilt and sentenced him to three years in the Death Row Camp, barring him from Linzi.
• Chongxuan Chuliang asked Chongxuan Sheng whether he accepted the punishment, while Jiang Wang and Shi Si remained silent.
• Chongxuan Sheng turned to Chongxuan Chuliang in tears and told him that Wang Yiwu had killed Shi Si.

Chongxuan Chuliang prepared to fight Jiang Mengxiong after Shi Si died, but Jiang Mengxiong revived her and agreed to end the confrontation. Jiang Wang and the others left together, while Jiang Wang remembered that it was Jiang An'an’s birthday and that they were far apart.

• Chongxuan Chuliang drew the Life-Cutting Blade and challenged Jiang Mengxiong because Chongxuan Sheng had cried over Shi Si.
• Jiang Mengxiong revealed that he had sealed the passage to the netherworld, restored Shi Si’s soul, and revived her with a golden pill.
• Chongxuan Sheng asked to settle the dispute himself, and Jiang Mengxiong and Chongxuan Chuliang agreed to let the matter end there.
• Jiang Wang told Jiang Mengxiong that he would have killed Wang Yiwu if the young were truly meant to handle their own affairs, and Jiang Mengxiong laughed before taking Wang Yiwu away.
• Chongxuan Sheng and Shi Si walked toward Xia Mountain Villa with Jiang Wang, and Chongxuan Sheng said Linzi would remember the day.
• Jiang Wang reflected that it was Jiang An'an’s birthday, though the siblings were at opposite ends of the earth.

Jiang An'an grew upset after Mo Liang teased her about her brother, and Ye Qingyu hinted that the brother’s talent would soon become known. In Linzi, Jiang Wang told Chongxuan Sheng he planned to return home and said he had one matter to handle first.

• Jiang An'an joined High Heaven Pavilion's young cultivators for treats and ate some of the snow crane they had roasted.
• Mo Liang told Jiang An'an that her brother had forgotten her, so she left the Cloud Terrace upset.
• Ye Qingyu scolded Mo Liang and told him to ask a returning merchant caravan about Jiang An'an's brother.
• Ye Qingyu said that the awl in the bag would soon show its tip, leaving Mo Liang and the others puzzled.
• Jiang Wang told Chongxuan Sheng he planned to return to Linzi to see his sister and old friends, but first needed to take care of one matter there.

Jiang Wang arranged an open duel with Lei Zhangan to settle their feud and publicly answer the Lei Clan’s accusations. Chongxuan Sheng set up the match at the Invincible Martial Arts Hall, and Lei Zhangan rushed to Linzi after receiving their provocative challenge letter.

• Jiang Wang asked Chongxuan Sheng to arrange a duel with Lei Zhangan, intending to prove his strength in public.
• Chongxuan Sheng agreed and proposed selling tickets to the match, with Jiang Wang taking half the proceeds.
• Chongxuan Sheng bought an arena and named it the Invincible Martial Arts Hall.
• Chongxuan Sheng sent Lei Zhangan a deliberately insulting challenge letter, setting the duel for October 24.
• Lei Zhangan became enraged and rushed from the Lei Clan’s ancestral grounds to Linzi that night.
• October 24 arrived, the scheduled day of the duel.

Jiang Wang and Chongxuan Sheng prepared for Jiang Wang’s public duel with Lei Zhangan, which Chongxuan Sheng had turned into a sold-out spectacle. As distinguished spectators gathered at the Invincible Martial Arts Hall, Jiang Wang learned that Qing Xi was grooming Fu Miao to succeed her at the Four Seas Merchant Alliance because her lifespan was nearly exhausted.

• Chongxuan Sheng told Jiang Wang that all 800 tickets had sold, bringing in 30,000 Dao Essence Stones, and explained that Wang Yiwu’s reputation had drawn many spectators to see Jiang Wang fight Lei Zhangan.
• Chongxuan Sheng went to greet Yan Fu and said he had also invited Gao Zhe and Li Longchuan, while Jiang Wang joked about holding a public duel of their own someday.
• Jiang Wang and Chongxuan Sheng watched prominent guests arrive, including Jiang Wuyong, the Bao brothers, and Fu Miao of the Four Seas Merchant Alliance.
• Jiang Wang questioned why Qing Xi had chosen Fu Miao as her potential successor, and Chongxuan Sheng explained that her lifespan was nearly up and she valued obedience over ability.

The Ninth Prince, Jiang Wuxie, and the Huaying Palace Mistress, Jiang Wuyou, arrived at the Invincible Martial Arts Hall before Jiang Wang’s battle. Jiang Wuyou told Jiang Wang she wanted to speak with him after the match, then took her seat as the crowd prepared for the spectacle.

• Jiang Wuxie arrived, and everyone in the Martial Practice Hall stood to welcome him while Jiang Wuyong greeted him as Ninth Brother.
• Jiang Wuxie arranged a lavish seating area with a couch, canopy, refreshments, and nearby seats, prompting other spectators to improve their own accommodations.
• Chongxuan Sheng joked with Jiang Wang about upgrading the Martial Practice Hall’s facilities using the noble spectators’ money.
• Jiang Wuyou arrived alone, drew Jiang Wang’s attention, and told him she had something to discuss with him after the match.
• Jiang Wuyou declined Jiang Wuxie’s offer to sit with him, greeted Jiang Wuyong, and sat upright on her wooden stool.

Jiang Wang’s duel with Lei Zhangan drew three imperial princes and a crowd of spectators to the Martial Practice Platform. Lei Zhangan stepped into the ring confident he would defeat Jiang Wang, while Jiang Wuqi and Jiang Wuxie exchanged barbs and Jiang Wuqi’s health briefly came into question.

• Jiang Wuxie taunted Lei Zhangan for arriving late, and Chongxuan Sheng announced that spectators would get no refunds if the duel failed to start.
• Jiang Wuqi arrived with Lei Zhangan, and the imperial princes greeted one another while the crowd noted that three leading candidates for the throne were present.
• Jiang Wuxie claimed confidence in Jiang Wang and reminded Lei Zhangan of his performance in the Seven Star Tower Secret Realm, provoking Lei Zhangan to head for the platform.
• Lei Zhangan recalled his Thunder Seal Supernatural Power and greater experience in the Inner Palace Realm, convinced that he could defeat Jiang Wang.
• Jiang Wuqi declined special comforts from his attendants and urged Jiang Wuxie to treat those around them with humanity.
• Jiang Wuxie asked whether Jiang Wuqi was feeling better, and Jiang Wuqi answered that he was doing great.

Ten days earlier, Jiang Wang consulted Zuo Guangshu about Lei Zhangan’s Thunder Seal and learned it was a vital point controlling his lightning. In the present, Jiang Wang stood ready to face Lei Zhangan in front of Linzi, determined to prove his victory had come from his own skill.

• Jiang Wang asked Zuo Guangshu how to counter the Thunder Seal, and Zuo Guangshu identified its externally condensed form as a vital point that controlled Lei Zhangan’s lightning.
• Zuo Guangshu recognized Jiang Wang’s account as the Nine Heavens Thunder Evolution Art of the Lei Clan of Qi State and discussed the upcoming Yellow River Assembly.
• Jiang Wang revealed that his Supernatural Power was Samadhi True Fire, and Zuo Guangshu insisted Jiang Wang should not hold back against him.
• Jiang Wang recalled defeating Lei Zhangan in Life and Death Chess through his own planning and effort, despite Lei Zhangan’s accusation that he had used underhanded tricks.
• Jiang Wang took his place on the Martial Practice Platform, ready to test his preparations against Lei Zhangan before the people of Linzi.

Jiang Wang fought Lei Zhangan in a duel, using his swordsmanship and Samadhi True Fire to seize and burn the Thunder Seal. Jiang Wuqi intervened and conceded for Lei Zhangan, ending the fight before either man could be seriously hurt.

• Chongxuan Sheng laid out the duel’s rules, and Jiang Wang and Lei Zhangan began fighting on the Martial Practice Platform.
• Lei Zhangan unleashed his Thunder Seal and Heaven and Earth Reversal, filling the arena with falling thunder-stars and a surging sea of lightning.
• Jiang Wang fought through the thunder and reached the Thunder Seal, then set it ablaze with Samadhi True Fire.
• Jiang Wuqi entered the fiery arena, took the Thunder Seal, and conceded on Lei Zhangan’s behalf.
• Jiang Wuqi returned the Thunder Seal to Lei Zhangan, while Jiang Wang extinguished the flames and accepted the end of the duel.

After defeating Lei Zhangan, Jiang Wang met Jiang Wuyou, who tried to recruit him to Huaying Palace and warned him to beware the Blue Stone Palace. Jiang Wang left uncertain whether her warning was sincere or part of a political probe involving the Deposed Crown Prince, Jiang Wuliang.

• Jiang Wang defeated Lei Zhangan, and Chongxuan Sheng managed the aftermath as Linzi watched the result spread.
• Jiang Wuyou summoned Jiang Wang to speak privately at the restaurant Chongxuan Sheng had rented.
• Jiang Wuyou assessed Jiang Wang's fights with Lei Zhangan and Wang Yiwu, then offered him resources and protection if he joined Huaying Palace.
• Jiang Wang declined to commit, saying he would follow Chongxuan Sheng's lead in political matters.
• Jiang Wuyou warned Jiang Wang to beware the Blue Stone Palace, leaving him to wonder whether she was testing him or probing Jiang Wuliang.

Jiang Wang prepared to leave Linzi, and Chongxuan Sheng gave him a Green Badge to provide an official reason for traveling while investigating the Zhao Xuan Assassination Case. Jiang Wang left quietly for Nanyao City, stopping first at Bei Prefecture because of his badge.

• Chongxuan Sheng decided to set aside his business and focus on cultivation, while Jiang Wang offered to practice with him in the Great Void Illusion Realm.
• Chongxuan Sheng gave Jiang Wang a temporary fifth-rank Green Badge Constable badge so he could travel under the pretext of investigating the Zhao Xuan Assassination Case.
• Chongxuan Sheng also gave Jiang Wang an Earth Origin Great Pill for their little sister, and Jiang Wang accepted it before leaving.
• Jiang Wang departed Linzi alone, now famous across Qi after defeating Wang Yiwu and Lei Zhangan.
• Jiang Wang chose Nanyao City in Red Sun Prefecture as his first destination, but planned to stop at Bei Prefecture first because he carried the Green Badge.

As the Zhuang Kingdom prospered under Zhuang Gaoxian, Liu Yao met a mysterious young man who had spent three afternoons looking toward the Prefecture Daoist Academy. After speaking with him, she learned his name was Nian Xiang, but not what he was looking at.

• The Zhuang Kingdom flourished, expanded into ten cities of Mo State, and gained support from the Qing River Water Mansion.
• Liu Yao noticed Nian Xiang standing outside the Prefecture Daoist Academy for three afternoons and decided to approach him.
• Liu Yao encouraged Nian Xiang to cultivate and offered to answer his questions, but he told her he was only looking.
• Liu Yao introduced herself and asked for his name, and Nian Xiang answered, "Nian Xiang."

Jiang Wang joined the Northern Office’s pursuit team in Bei Prefecture while concealing his real reason for being there. When Lin Youxie questioned him about his connections, she revealed that the team had located King Taishan and hinted that she knew Jiang Wang had visited Zhang Yong.

• Jiang Wang learned that Hell’s Gate remained trapped inside Qi State and that the pursuit team had traced its trail to Bei Prefecture.
• Jiang Wang joined the pursuit team but stayed outside its core investigation, intending to leave after a few days.
• Lin Youxie told Jiang Wang that Yue Leng and Ma Xiong had gone after King Taishan, a peak Outer Tower expert.
• Lin Youxie asked Jiang Wang about Zhang Yong and said she had investigated the Fengxian Zhang massacre.
• Jiang Wang claimed he had visited Zhang Yong only to recruit him for Chongxuan Sheng, then left the pavilion.

Jiang Wang watched Yue Leng bring King Taishan back to the Green Badge Constables’ camp and worried that the interrogation could expose Zhang Yong or his own ties to Yin Guan. Yue Leng kept Lin Youxie and Ma Xiong to question King Taishan, whose screams echoed through the courtyard all night.

• Jiang Wang recalled covering for Zhang Yong and questioned why Lin Youxie had asked about him.
• Yue Leng returned with King Taishan captured and chained, while King Taishan threatened Jiang Wang.
• Yue Leng ordered everyone except Ma Xiong and Lin Youxie out of the sitting room before questioning King Taishan.
• Jiang Wang returned to his room without seeking information and worried that helping Yin Guan could be exposed.
• King Taishan screamed through the night as Yue Leng tortured him, and Jiang Yan remarked on his strong lungs.

The manhunt team discovered that Liu Jie had been killed by Pearl-Seeking River, and Yue Leng went to investigate while the others guarded their base. Jiang Wang decided to leave Bei Prefecture, but as he stepped out, a pale hand emerged from Ma Xiong’s shadow.

• Yue Leng and the constables realized Liu Jie was missing, then learned his body had been found by Pearl-Seeking River.
• A Bei Prefecture Office messenger confirmed Liu Jie had died at the river, and Ma Xiong suspected he had gone there after finding a lead.
• Yue Leng went alone to investigate while Ma Xiong assigned the remaining constables to guard their base.
• Jiang Wang told Ma Xiong he planned to leave and returned to his room to pack.
• As Jiang Wang stepped out of the courtyard, a pale hand reached from the shadow beneath Ma Xiong’s chair.

Ma Xiong and three Outer Tower Green Badge Constables attacked King Wuguan, but Yin Guan used the distraction to kill King Taishan and escape before Yue Leng arrived. King Wuguan’s severed hand revealed that her apparent death had been a deliberate deception, and Yue Leng’s trap failed.

• Ma Xiong sensed an attack and, with three fellow constables, used the Ancient Five Punishments to seemingly kill King Wuguan.
• Yin Guan suddenly broke into the sitting room, destroyed its formation, and crushed King Taishan to silence him.
• Ma Xiong tried to execute King Wuguan again, but her head split in two as Yin Guan fled in emerald light.
• Yue Leng arrived to find the room destroyed and King Taishan dead, then silently rebuked Ma Xiong and the other constables for failing to hold Yin Guan.
• Ma Xiong found King Wuguan’s pale hand in his shadow and realized she had left it behind to deceive the constables and create an opening for Yin Guan.