Recaps

Zeng Anmin revealed his pale-gold Confucian Sage Dharma Aspect, then discussed with Father the political schemes behind Huang Yuangao’s death and a possible campaign against Prince Nan. Qin Shouchang arrived with Qin Wanyue to boast of her advancement to Sixth Grade, unaware of the full extent of Zeng Anmin’s abilities.

• Father recognized Zeng Anmin’s Dharma Aspect as a Confucian Sage Dharma Aspect and warned him to conceal it and the Six Artifacts.
• Father explained that the Great Sage Dynasty might go to war with Jiang Kingdom over Huang Yuangao’s death, and suspected the Empress intended to redirect the campaign toward Prince Nan’s territory.
• Zeng Anmin reasoned that the Empress might offer Prince Nan’s fief to the Great Sage Dynasty, and suggested Tian Ji command the campaign with Qin Shouchang as its Confucian cultivator.
• Qin Shouchang arrived at the Minister’s Residence with Qin Wanyue, whose shy reaction made Zeng Anmin suspect she had feelings for him.
• Qin Shouchang announced that Qin Wanyue had comprehended Confucian Sayings and advanced to Sixth Grade, then teased Zeng Anmin about being unable to reach Fifth Grade.

Zeng Anmin revealed that he had reached Fifth Grade, shocking Qin Shouchang, then told Qin Wanyue how memories of her had helped him resist an Eastern Cult spy's dream attack. Their closeness was interrupted when Qin Shouchang and Zeng Shilin emerged from their discussion and caught Qin Wanyue touching Zeng Anmin.

• Zeng Anmin revealed his Golden Dharma Aspect and Fifth Grade breakthrough, leaving Qin Shouchang stunned and prompting the old man to bray like a donkey.
• Zeng Anmin told Qin Wanyue that memories of her helped him survive an Eastern Cult spy's Dream Entry attack in Jiangnan.
• Huzi mentioned that Sai Chuxue had visited, but Qin Wanyue focused on Zeng Anmin's story and worried over his safety.
• Qin Wanyue checked Zeng Anmin's back for injuries, and Qin Shouchang and Zeng Shilin emerged to find her touching him.
• Qin Shouchang scolded the pair with a cold snort, while Zeng Shilin looked at Qin Wanyue as a possible match for his son.

After returning to the Imperial Academy, Zeng Anmin learned that Liu Xian had entered the Confucian Path and was worried about Wangxianju threatening the Liu family’s Good Friend Trading Company. Liu Xian pledged his loyalty and revealed the Princess had eyes and ears inside the company, while Zeng Anmin began considering building an intelligence network of his own; Qin Shouchang’s absence hinted that the Great Sage Dynasty was preparing for war.

• Zeng Anmin warned Huzi not to repeat his boasts about dreaming of Qin Wanyue and Sai Chuxue, then promised to take him to Fa'an Temple to see Yingchen.
• Liu Xian welcomed Zeng Anmin back to the Imperial Academy and said he had entered the Path through the way of books.
• Liu Xian explained that Wangxianju, led by Shen Jun under Jin Taiping, planned to expand north and could threaten the Good Friend Trading Company’s restaurants.
• Zeng Anmin offered to arrange a meeting between Shen Jun and Liu Xian’s father, and Liu Xian revealed that some Good Friend Trading Company businesses served as the Princess’s eyes and ears.
• Liu Xian declared that he would follow Zeng Anmin, prompting Zeng Anmin to consider building his own intelligence network and possibly sending Liu Xian to the Ministry of Rites.
• Zeng Anmin heard students demand war against the Jiang Kingdom and the Demon Race, and noticed Qin Shouchang had been absent from the Imperial Academy for two days.

Zeng Anmin discovered that an Eastern Cult spy had identified his dual cultivation and lured him to the western outskirts. He defeated the spy’s Puppet Art, exposed his Confucian Dharma Aspect, and killed the fleeing enemy with an arrow.

• Liu Xian took Zeng Anmin to listen to music aboard a merchant ship, and Zeng Anmin sensed someone watching him.
• A dart carrying an invitation to discuss the Martial Path led Zeng Anmin to suspect an Eastern Cult spy and summon Bai Ziqing for help.
• At the forest meeting, the hidden spy revealed that he knew Zeng Anmin’s secret and demanded something belonging to Bai Ziqing.
• The spy trapped Zeng Anmin in black mist and sent a serpent made of the Eastern Cult’s Puppet Art to attack him.
• Zeng Anmin used his Golden Dharma Aspect to seize the serpent and locate the spy, then shot the fleeing figure through the back of the head.

Zeng Anmin concealed his killing of an Eastern Cult spy and showed his father the spy’s flute to explain his nighttime outing. His father recognized the flute and concluded that the cult had more allies in the capital than Ren Weizhi.

• Zeng Anmin burned the Eastern Cult spy’s corpse, hid the evidence, and told Bai Ziqing that the trail had gone cold so they could investigate secretly.
• Back at the manor, Zeng Anmin examined the bone-white necklace and wondered what he had understood from it before falling asleep.
• The next morning, Zeng Shilin confronted Zeng Anmin about visiting Lou Yingqi’s pleasure boat, and Zeng Anmin claimed he had gone on important business.
• Zeng Anmin showed Zeng Shilin the short flute he had taken from the spy, and his father identified it as the Soul-Reaping Flute of the Eastern Cult.
• Zeng Shilin realized the cult likely had other collaborators in the capital, while Zeng Anmin recalled suspected links to Consort Xi and Duke Ning’s manor.

Zeng Anmin told his father that the Fourth Prince was likely Consort Xi’s child, then asked to learn the Confucian Qi Manipulation Method. His father explained the Confucian Path’s history and the cultivation choices and arts behind its techniques, leaving Zeng Anmin watching him form a jade-green ceremonial tablet.

• Zeng Anmin told his father about his suspicions, including that the Fourth Prince was likely the child Consort Xi had carried, and said Bai Ziqing was the only other person who knew.
• Zeng Anmin asked his father to teach him the Confucian Qi Manipulation Method, so his father manifested his Third-rank power to let him feel its pressure.
• Zeng Anmin’s father explained that the Confucian Sage shaped the Confucian Path to restrain demons and evil spirits, and that he had chosen to focus on restraining the Demon Race.
• Zeng Anmin’s father warned him to choose the Way of Balance at the Greater Heart Scrutiny because his own choice had been too tiring.
• Zeng Anmin’s father explained how Fifth-rank cultivators used the Six Arts of the Gentleman to attack and demonstrated his Ritual art by forming a jade-green ceremonial tablet.

Zeng Anmin learned the Confucian Sage’s attack method for the path of control and used it to devastate his courtyard, prompting him to confront Zeng Shilin about his past and his dangerous choices. The chapter then shifted north, where a human squad used an unusual formation and weapons to defeat a Demon Race squad.

• Zeng Shilin taught Zeng Anmin how to communicate with his Golden Tablet and use the Qi Manipulation Method of the path of control.
• Zeng Anmin’s first attack sent golden waves through the courtyard, cutting down flowers and splitting a peach tree while Zeng Shilin shielded himself.
• Zeng Anmin realized Zeng Shilin and Dean Qin Shouchang had tested him at the Xuanjing Division, then pressed Zeng Shilin about their extreme Confucian paths and made him promise to put his own life first.
• At North Vast Mountain, a human squad confronted a similarly sized Demon Race squad in the snow.
• The human soldiers held their formation and used Wolf Spears and other weapons to kill the demons, leaving the captain stunned by their victory.

The Yuanyang Army’s mountain exercise produced an overwhelming victory, prompting Emperor Jianhong and Duke Wei Tian Ji to consider using Zeng Anmin’s formation against Prince Nan of Jiang State. As the court discussed rewarding Zeng Anmin, Prime Minister Li Zhen urged the emperor not to rush, leaving the reason unclear.

• The Yuanyang Army counted its exercise results and found all forty soldiers present after defeating its opponents.
• Ji Qing reported that eleven newly trained Yuanyang Army units had killed 470 enemies while suffering 16 dead and 47 wounded, and Dean Shi ordered the results sent to the emperor as a glorious victory.
• Emperor Jianhong argued with his ministers over a campaign against Prince Nan of Jiang State, while Tian Ji explained that the army would need either 300,000 soldiers on the plains or 10,000 Wei Lin Army soldiers to hold Mount Bai for half a month.
• An urgent memorial arrived from Ji Qing, and Emperor Jianhong and Tian Ji celebrated the Yuanyang Army’s results, with Tian Ji asking for 5,000 soldiers trained in the formation.
• Emperor Jianhong revealed that Zeng Anmin had devised the formation and ordered substantial rewards for him, then asked Zeng’s father how he should be granted office.
• After reading the battle report, Li Zhen congratulated Zeng’s father but urged Emperor Jianhong not to rush Zeng Anmin’s rewards.

Li Zhen backed Emperor Jianhong’s plan to delay rewards until after the campaign, while Zeng Shilin signaled his loyalty to the emperor and rejected a proposed match for Zeng Anmin. Zeng Anmin received imperial rewards, lost the maids to his father’s orders, and was summoned by Duke Wei just as he tried to go out.

• Li Zhen advised Emperor Jianhong to postpone Zeng Anmin’s appointment and rewards until Duke Wei returned from the campaign, and Emperor Jianhong secured Zeng Shilin and Tian Ji’s agreement to begin training the army.
• Zeng Shilin named Qin the Libationer’s daughter as his preferred match for Zeng Anmin, while Emperor Jianhong later concluded that Zeng Shilin was showing loyalty to him.
• Si Zhongxiao told Emperor Jianhong that Li Zhen’s offer had been a test, and Emperor Jianhong said Zeng Shilin was showing loyalty to him rather than wariness of Li Zhen.
• A palace attendant delivered silver, gifts, and maids to Zeng Anmin as rewards, but Zeng Shilin redirected most of the wealth and all the maids away from his son.
• Zeng Anmin complained about losing the maids, then decided to go out with Dachun, but Xu Yunzhi arrived and summoned him to Duke Wei.

Empress Gu Xiangnan learned from a secret report that Zeng Anmin’s Mandarin Duck Army Formation had achieved extraordinary results and resolved to obtain his help. Meanwhile, Zeng Anmin agreed to train troops for Duke Wei Tian Ji, only to discover his recruits were a ragged group of about two hundred soldiers.

• Princess Wencheng noticed the smell of medicine and blood on Gu Xiangnan and pressed her about being injured, but the Empress dismissed her concern.
• Gu Xiangnan read a report about Zeng Anmin, the Mandarin Duck Army Formation, and its success against the Demon Race, then hurried back to the palace to contact Bei.
• Tian Ji asked Zeng Anmin to train troops and promised to petition for a noble title if their campaign succeeded.
• Zeng Anmin expected to command nearly ten thousand soldiers, but Tian Ji explained that Gu Xiangnan wanted a cost-effective force of five thousand and assigned him roughly two hundred ill-equipped recruits to start with.
• Zeng Anmin told the recruits that troop training meant turning waste into treasure and announced that his first lesson would teach them how to stand at attention.

Zeng Anmin took charge of training raw recruits and taught them to execute turns in unison in just one morning, astonishing Wu Qianfeng and Duke Wei, Tian Ji. As Tian Ji raced to find Zeng Anmin, Emperor Jianhong ordered the army trained and dispatched within two months, while Si Zhongxiao left the emperor's presence with his true reaction concealed.

• Duke Wei, Tian Ji, assigned Wu Qianfeng to assist Zeng Anmin in training new recruits, and Zeng Anmin learned that his father had insisted on using fresh soldiers.
• Wu Qianfeng said proper training would take three months, but Zeng Anmin took over and taught the recruits to stand at attention and turn in unison within one morning.
• Emperor Jianhong ordered Si Zhongxiao to tell Tian Ji to train a Mandarin Duck Army and prepare to dispatch troops within two months.
• Zeng Anmin told Wu Qianfeng to continue his training methods before leaving to teach the Mandarin Duck Formation later.
• Tian Ji saw the recruits drilling perfectly and learned from Wu Qianfeng that Zeng Anmin had taught them; he demanded to know where Zeng Anmin was.

After speaking with Nan through the Dragon Survey Map, Zeng Anmin suspected that she was actually the Empress and learned how to cultivate spiritual sense. A mysterious note then summoned him to meet at the Liu Residence the next day, leaving him wondering whether the Princess had arranged a secret rendezvous.

• Zeng Shilin warned Zeng Anmin not to make military connections and explained that Li Zhen had proposed a title for him while blocking an immediate official appointment.
• Zeng Anmin chatted with Nan and Huang, then inferred that Nan suspected his connection to the Black Cat Martial Artist and wanted to befriend him for his knowledge of military formations.
• Nan taught Zeng Anmin how to nourish spiritual sense and advance from the Seventh-rank Visualization Realm toward the Sixth Rank Void Comprehension Realm.
• Zeng Anmin concluded that Nan might be the Empress, though he decided to test the theory later and began cultivating spiritual sense.
• Dachun delivered a note inviting Zeng Anmin to meet at the Liu Residence at noon the next day, and Zeng Anmin wondered if the Princess had arranged a secret rendezvous.

Zeng Anmin was summoned by Tian Ji to explain his modern military training methods, then taught Wu Qianfeng marching drills and the military salute before returning home. He left the soldiers in Wu Qianfeng’s hands and ended the chapter still unable to advance from the Seventh Rank Visualization Realm.

• Zeng Anmin tried to head to the Jiaofang Division, but Wu Qianfeng intercepted him and carried him to the military camp at Tian Ji’s insistence.
• Tian Ji praised Zeng Anmin’s military training methods and embraced his new term, “Confucian General,” while asking him to train five thousand soldiers.
• Zeng Anmin taught Wu Qianfeng marching movements and the military salute, and Wu Qianfeng bowed to him as a master.
• Zeng Anmin left the camp, and Tian Ji wondered who His Majesty would appoint to command the five thousand Mandarin Duck Army soldiers.
• Zeng Anmin tried to cultivate at home but failed again to condense divine consciousness and reach the Sixth Rank Void Comprehension Realm.

Zeng Anmin met Princess at the Liu Residence to discuss the Xi Huang Diagram and the coming campaign against Nan, where he learned she was a Fourth Rank Martial Artist. After Princess caught him staring at her, he improvised a poem about peach blossoms and their first meeting, leaving her quietly moved.

• Zeng Anmin entered the Liu Residence under the excuse of visiting Liu Xian and was led by Liu Sanjiang to meet Princess.
• Princess asked about the Xi Huang Diagram and told Zeng Anmin that Wu Qianfeng might join the campaign against Nan at Mount Bai pass, giving him a chance to seek information.
• Princess revealed that she was a Fourth Rank Martial Artist and confronted Zeng Anmin for staring at her while she played the chime bells.
• Zeng Anmin claimed that he had been composing a poem, and Princess asked him to recite it with her chime bells as accompaniment.
• Zeng Anmin recited a poem about peach blossoms and a vanished beloved, and Princess fell silent, appearing lost in thought.

Zeng Anmin tried to speak with Wu Qianfeng before the expedition, but an urgent summons and rumors accusing Zeng Shilin and Zeng Anmin of causing military failures drew them to the parade ground. There, officials blamed Zeng Anmin’s training methods for the Mandarin Duck Army as Emperor Jianhong questioned Duke Wei Tian Ji, leaving Zeng Anmin’s family under threat of being held responsible.

• Zeng Anmin left Liu Residence after realizing the Princess wanted the Xi Huang Diagram and had demonstrated her Fourth Rank martial arts aura to pressure him.
• Wu Qianfeng visited Zeng Anmin to fulfill his promise to take him to the Jiaofang Division, and Zeng Anmin steered their conversation toward his cousin’s husband, Duan Yuheng.
• A messenger summoned Wu Qianfeng to the parade ground, where Emperor Jianhong was watching the drill, and warned that rumors accused Zeng Shilin of tolerating the Demon Race and Zeng Anmin of devising the Mandarin Duck Army’s training method.
• Zeng Anmin and Wu Qianfeng rode to the parade ground as Emperor Jianhong questioned Tian Ji about the army’s training and the claims that his methods had taken an unconventional path.
• Tian Ji defended Zeng Anmin’s methods, while Liu Chengqian redirected blame toward Zeng Anmin and Zeng Shilin pleaded for his son before Liu raised the charge of delaying military affairs.

Zeng Anmin’s military training method impressed Emperor Jianhong, who praised him and proposed that the Princess lead the Mandarin Duck Army. When Liu Chengqian objected, the Princess used Zeng Anmin’s poem “Ode to Willow” to ridicule him publicly.

• Liu Chengqian accused Zeng Shilin and Zeng Anmin of harboring ambitions to defect to the demons, while the Princess defended them before Emperor Jianhong.
• Zeng Anmin and Wu Qianfeng demonstrated the Mandarin Duck Army’s synchronized drills, including a four-step halt that kept five thousand soldiers in formation.
• Emperor Jianhong praised Zeng Anmin’s training method and proposed that the Princess command the Mandarin Duck Army.
• Liu Chengqian objected to the Princess leading the army, and she responded by reciting Zeng Anmin’s satirical poem, “Ode to Willow.”
• Zeng Anmin named the poem, and Liu Chengqian realized it mocked him.

Zeng Anmin questioned Wu Qianfeng about martial arts and his cousin-in-law, the Loyal Far Count, and learned that Wu had been his senior brother’s disciple. Wu named Ji Qing and Li Jian, Duke Ning, as suspects in the old accusation against the Loyal Far Count, leaving Zeng Anmin probing how Wu knew of their connection to Prince Qi.

• Emperor Jianhong ordered the Mandarin Duck Army to master its formation before setting out, praised Zeng Anmin, and returned to the palace.
• At Apricot Blossom Tower, Zeng Anmin summoned Wu Qianfeng and pressed him about his martial rank and the path to advancing from the Seventh Rank to Sixth Grade.
• Zeng Anmin revealed that the Loyal Far Count was his cousin-in-law, prompting Wu to confess that the Count had been his senior brother and to describe the Count’s false accusation by Prince Qi.
• Zeng Anmin urged Wu to share what he knew about Prince Qi’s accomplices, and Wu pledged to serve him if he would avenge his senior brother.
• Wu named Ji Qing, Director of the Imperial City Department, and Li Jian, Duke Ning, as suspicious, and Zeng Anmin asked how he knew they were connected to Prince Qi.

Zeng Anmin connected Duke Ning, Li Jian, to the pressure on his father and the suspicious death of Huang Yuangao, then reported his theory to Zeng Shilin. Zeng Shilin agreed to send him with the Mandarin Duck Army as deputy commander, while warning him to put his safety first.

• Wu Qianfeng told Zeng Anmin that Prince Qi had once served under Duke Ning, Li Jian, and that Duke Ning had erased traces of his past influence in the army.
• Zeng Anmin linked Duke Ning to Liu Chengqian, Consort Xi, and the events surrounding Huang Yuangao's death, concluding that Duke Ning was behind the troubles facing him and his father.
• Zeng Anmin returned to the Minister's Residence and interrupted Zeng Shilin and Concubine Lin before asking to join the southern campaign.
• Zeng Shilin explained that rumors about Two Rivers Prefecture and pressure from court factions meant he could not leave the capital, so Zeng Anmin would go with the Mandarin Duck Army.
• Zeng Anmin shared his suspicions about Duke Ning with Zeng Shilin, who realized he had overlooked Li Jian as a possible enemy.
• Zeng Shilin said he would petition to make Zeng Anmin deputy commander and warned him to hide behind Qin Shouchang or the Princess when facing enemies and to prioritize his life.

Qin Wanyue worried about Zeng Anmin joining the southern expedition, and Qin Shouchang agreed to protect him while raising the prospect of their marriage. As the army departed the capital, Qin Wanyue gave Zeng Anmin a safety pouch, and he gave her a firearm for protection.

• Qin Wanyue visited Qin Shouchang and asked him to keep Zeng Anmin safe during the campaign; Qin Shouchang agreed and said he would discuss their marriage after the expedition.
• Zeng Anmin noticed Qin Wanyue acting shyly around him and became an increasingly confident deputy commander as the Mandarin Duck Army completed its training.
• The Princess, Qin Shouchang, Zeng Anmin, and the troops marched out of the capital with Tian Ji leading the larger army.
• At the city gates, Qin Wanyue gave Zeng Anmin a handmade lotus pouch and worriedly urged him to stay safe.
• Zeng Anmin gave Qin Wanyue a firearm made by Master Xu, told her she was more precious than anything, and returned to the ranks as Qin Shouchang glowered at him.

The army reached Guangnan Prefecture, where Tian Ji assigned forces to besiege the city and guard against interference from the Demon Race. The Princess led the Mandarin Duck Army into Mount Bai, and Zeng Anmin volunteered to clear the mountain paths, revealing that he had reached the Fifth Rank Confucian Dharma Aspect Realm.

• Zeng Anmin told the Princess that he regarded Sister Qin as his elder sister after she remarked on their close bond.
• Tian Ji’s army grew from fifteen thousand to eighty thousand as it marched to Mount Bai and camped near Guangnan Prefecture.
• At the war council, Tian Ji assigned Wang Feng to guard a mountain pass and ordered the Princess to lead the Mandarin Duck Army to Bai Deng Pass with Li Le and his Demon Searching Compass.
• The Princess led five thousand Mandarin Duck Army soldiers into Mount Bai and explained that they needed to block the Bi Xuan tribe from reaching Tian Ji’s army.
• When the Princess assigned Qin Shouchang to clear the mountain paths, Zeng Anmin volunteered and revealed his Confucian Dharma Aspect, astonishing the gathered commanders.

Zeng Anmin led a force into Mount Bai to search for demons, but secretly used the Demon Searching Compass to locate three Demon Generals and left his soldiers behind. He confronted the demons alone, and the chapter ended as the terrified Tiger Demon fled while the two Wolf Demons stared at him.

• Princess ordered Zeng Anmin to lead soldiers and Li Le on a three-day demon search through the vital routes.
• At Qianxing Path, Zeng Anmin left Wu Qianfeng and fifty soldiers behind, then secretly used the Demon Searching Compass to detect three Demon Generals nearby.
• Zeng Anmin tricked Li Le into taking the remaining soldiers deeper into the mountains and hurried back alone toward the demons he had located.
• Zeng Anmin found three demons feeding on animal carcasses and released his Vast Righteous Qi, terrifying them.
• The Tiger Demon fled from Zeng Anmin, while the two Wolf Demons remained frozen and stared at him.

Zeng Anmin fought a peak Demon General and two Wolf Demons, breaking through to the Sixth Rank Void Comprehension Realm and killing all three. The chapter ended with him facing a timed choice among three new Martial Arts Entries.

• Zeng Anmin suppressed his Vast Righteous Qi and used his Martial Arts Aura to draw two Wolf Demons into attacking him.
• He dodged the wolves’ coordinated attacks, but a tiger demon intervened and joined them in a three-on-one fight.
• After a Wolf Demon wounded him, Zeng Anmin broke through to the Sixth Rank Void Comprehension Realm and gained divine sense.
• With his enhanced combat power, Zeng Anmin decapitated the Tiger Demon and swiftly killed both Wolf Demons.
• The system presented Zeng Anmin with three Martial Arts Entries and began a countdown for his choice.

After choosing Last Reserve, Zeng Anmin returned to Biyu Path and found Li Le and the Mandarin Duck Army soldiers dead, with the Great Demon Bi Xuan waiting among them. Facing an overwhelming enemy, he exhausted his martial aura to shout for help, and Qin Shouchang and the Princess recognized his signal and rushed to respond.

• Zeng Anmin chose Last Reserve, erased the three Demon Race corpses with Vast Righteous Qi, and hurried back toward Biyu Path.
• Finding the cleanup taking too long, Zeng Anmin entered Biyu Path and discovered the Mandarin Duck Army corpses, including Li Le, beside a shaking Demon Searching Compass.
• Zeng Anmin recognized Bi Xuan, a Third Rank Great Demon, and realized he could neither flee nor defeat it in a fight.
• As Bi Xuan sent black aura toward him, Zeng Anmin forced down his fear and spent all his Martial Arts Aura shouting for help.
• Qin Shouchang and the Princess heard Zeng Anmin's call, recognized that he was in danger, and rushed toward its source.

Zeng Anmin fought Bi Xuan with his martial and Confucian powers but was captured after exhausting his strength. Qin Shouchang and the Princess arrived in time to free him, and Qin Shouchang raised his power against Bi Xuan as the demon tried to flee.

• Qin Shouchang recognized the danger and hurried the Princess toward Biyu Path while she split the troops to guard Qianxing Path and Qiuming Path.
• Zeng Anmin destroyed Bi Xuan's black qi with his Confucian Dharma Aspect, then used the Golden Tablet to resist the demon's giant hand.
• Bi Xuan's attack overcame Zeng Anmin, who was captured and prepared himself to fight back after his expected breakthrough.
• The Princess carried Qin Shouchang to the clearing, where his azure Dharma Aspect blasted apart the hand holding Zeng Anmin.
• Bi Xuan recognized Qin Shouchang as a Fourth Rank Confucian and tried to flee, but Qin Shouchang raised his arm and offered the Princess a stroke of fortune.

Qin Shouchang confronted Bi Xuan and used his Extreme Confucian power to suppress the Third Rank Great Demon, while Zeng Anmin realized that choosing the same path might greatly strengthen his own restraint over demons. Bi Xuan burned his ancestral blood to gain power, and his killing intent turned toward Zeng Anmin and the Princess.

• Qin Shouchang summoned his Confucian Dharma Aspect and struck Bi Xuan with a massive Suppress character, forcing the demon to turn and fight.
• Bi Xuan unleashed his overwhelming demonic pressure, and the Princess pulled Zeng Anmin to safety as the shockwave shattered trees around them.
• Qin Shouchang explained that his Extreme Confucian path made him a particular threat to demons, while Zeng Anmin realized that Qin's Heart Inquiry choice had focused his power against the Demon Race.
• Bi Xuan burned his ancestral blood and transformed, but Qin Shouchang's stronger Suppress character pinned him down and began eroding his body.
• The Princess explained that burning ancestral blood temporarily strengthened Bi Xuan at the cost of his cultivation, while Bi Xuan glanced toward her and Zeng Anmin with killing intent.