Chapter Summaries

Zhang Sanxian entered a tavern as a storyteller spun an exaggerated legend about him, then paid the storyteller of Rain-Listening Tower for the secret behind the organization’s far-reaching intelligence network. The storyteller revealed that Rain-Listening Tower relied on an ancient magical treasure.

• A storyteller embellished Zhang Sanxian’s past into a sensational tale, calling him the Wind-Listening King of Hell and warning listeners to avoid him.
• Zhang Sanxian entered the tavern, and the patrons recognized him from the storyteller’s description and stared in alarm.
• Zhang Sanxian asked the storyteller to sell him intelligence and learned that information about him had already been purchased, though the storyteller would not name the buyer.
• Zhang Sanxian offered the storyteller a series of valuable ancient jade ornaments in exchange for Rain-Listening Tower’s communication secret.
• The storyteller accepted the jade and revealed that Rain-Listening Tower exchanged information over any distance through an ancient magical treasure.

Zhang Sanxian learned that Rain-Listening Tower relied on the Exquisite Chessboard and its pieces to communicate and protect its network. He realized the storyteller was the thousand-year-old master of Rain-Listening Tower, who agreed to discuss Yan Zikun but questioned why Zhang Sanxian would risk upheaval for little Fangzheng.

• The storyteller explained that Rain-Listening Tower's founder found the damaged Exquisite Chessboard on an isolated island, and its pieces enabled instant messages and the teleportation of small objects.
• Zhang Sanxian learned that the storyteller's Exquisite Chess Pieces would return to the board if he died, making it pointless to kill him for the treasure.
• The storyteller revealed that Rain-Listening Tower's spies were all extensions of its master, and Zhang Sanxian compared them to the legs of a centipede.
• Zhang Sanxian deduced that the storyteller was the original maritime merchant and had controlled Rain-Listening Tower for a thousand years.
• The master of Rain-Listening Tower offered to tell Zhang Sanxian where Yan Zikun was, then asked why Zhang would risk a great upheaval for little Fangzheng.

Zhang Sanxian learned that Yan Zikun was staying at Jifuan Merchant House and went there to kill him over the destruction of Qiu Family Village. He cut down Yan Zikun’s guards, while Yan Zikun remained standing as the attack ended.

• Zhang Sanxian told the master of Rain-Listening Tower that he and the child were reincarnated from another world and had been sworn brothers in their previous lives.
• The master of Rain-Listening Tower revealed that Yan Zikun was at Jifuan Merchant House, and Zhang Sanxian left to kill him without asking about their feud.
• Yan Zikun demanded money from a wealthy merchant in exchange for protecting his brocade ships on the canal.
• Zhang Sanxian blasted open the merchant house doors and entered, prompting Yan Zikun to unleash his oppressive aura and send his guards to attack.
• Zhang Sanxian’s zither note made four guards kill one another, and he then drew his sword and beheaded three more.

Zhang Sanxian killed Yan Zikun in a brief fight at Jifuan Merchant House, revealing strength far beyond the level Yan had expected. Later, Elder Yuan sought information about the blind swordsman from Rain-Listening Tower, and Lian Shanyu asked Zhang whether he should sell it.

• Yan Zikun unleashed his River-Boiling Palm against Zhang Sanxian, but Zhang struck the technique’s weakness and destroyed Yan’s hands.
• Zhang Sanxian beheaded Yan Zikun and left the merchant house courtyard as its witnesses watched in terror.
• Elder Yuan questioned the shopkeeper about Yan Zikun’s death and heard that the killer was likely Zhang Sanxian, the Wind-Listening Yama.
• Elder Yuan ordered his subordinate to buy Rain-Listening Tower’s information about Zhang Sanxian.
• Lian Shanyu told Zhang Sanxian that Elder Yuan had asked to buy all their information about him and asked whether he should sell it.

Zhang Sanxian prepared for the martial arts assembly despite warnings that the Canal River Gang had ruthless methods and demonic-cult ties. He entered the crowded gathering alone, where Elder Yuan and the major sects arrived, leaving the assembly poised for the bloodshed Zhang Sanxian foresaw.

• Lian Shanyu warned Zhang Sanxian about the Canal River Gang, but Zhang welcomed the chance to face them.
• Elder Yuan learned that Zhang Sanxian had single-handedly defeated a force of demonic-cult experts and planned to manipulate him into attacking the other martial artists.
• Zhang Sanxian left Xiao Fangzheng with Lian Shanyu and persuaded the Rain-Listening Tower convoy to turn back before heading to the assembly alone.
• The major sects and their representatives entered the packed grounds, including Elder Yuan, Qin Hongyu, and leaders from Hanging Sword Pavilion, Vast Mountain, and Sea Immortal Island.
• Elder Yuan spotted Zhang Sanxian and watched the other sects with a deepening smile as the assembly gathered amid mutual suspicion.

At the martial arts convention, Qin Hongyu urged the sects to unite against Northern Di, but Elder Yuan turned the gathering against Zhang Sanxian with a series of accusations. The chapter left Zhang Sanxian facing the furious suspicion of the assembled martial world.

• Qin Hongyu called on the martial world to choose an alliance leader and join forces against Ba Wulie and Bo Geyu, while several sects pledged support.
• Yun Feiyang, Rock True Person, Elder Yuan, Su Zhi, Huijue, and Miao Lie each voiced their positions or offered assistance.
• Elder Yuan accused Zhang Sanxian of killing Yan Zikun and the guards at Jifu'an Trading House, presenting witnesses who supported his claim.
• Leaders from the Black Tiger Gang, Golden Sand Gang, and Red Sand Sect accused Zhang Sanxian of other killings, robberies, and thefts.
• Elder Yuan claimed Zhang Sanxian had slaughtered Qiu Family Village and taken its surviving infant, then suggested he might deliver the child to the demon cult.
• The assembled martial artists turned on Zhang Sanxian with suspicion and fury as Elder Yuan's charges spread through the venue.

Zhang Sanxian refused to defend himself against Yuan Tong’s accusations and challenged the assembled martial artists to attack. When they charged, he uncovered his eyes and unleashed blazing beams that cut through the crowd, leaving the battle in chaos.

• Yuan Tong denounced Zhang Sanxian and urged the gathered martial artists to seize him, while Zhang dismissed their accusations and invited them to attack together.
• Miao Lie praised Zhang Sanxian’s defiance, but Yuan Tong ordered the Canal River Gang and the incited sects to charge.
• As hundreds of fighters rushed him, Zhang Sanxian untied the black cloth covering his eyes and revealed their ghastly white glow.
• Blazing beams burst from Zhang Sanxian’s eyes, vaporizing the front ranks and sweeping through the crowd.
• The beams cut down fighters and even a Returning Truth realm Canal River Gang expert, turning the arena into a scene of silent, catastrophic slaughter.

Zhang Sanxian massacred hundreds of martial artists with his laser eyes, including Yuan Tong, then faced the great sects’ accusations without fear. He walked away unchallenged, leaving the righteous martial world devastated and humiliated.

• Zhang Sanxian’s laser-eye attack sent the arena into chaos, killing hundreds and terrifying the martial artists and sect representatives.
• Zhang Sanxian’s beams vaporized Yuan Tong, earning him five same-tier fragments and fifty-seven additional fragments.
• Yun Feiyang, Qin Hongyu, Elder Huijue, and others condemned Zhang Sanxian, but none dared to attack him.
• Zhang Sanxian mocked Yun Feiyang’s fear, covered his eyes, and strolled out of the arena while reciting a poem.
• The assembled martial artists let Zhang Sanxian leave, and the ruined battlefield remained behind them.

After Zhang Sanxian devastated the martial arena, Rock True Person secretly detonated the Demonfire Thunder beneath the Ironclad Alliance’s branch, devastating much of Screen Sea City. He faked his own injuries and was rescued from the ruins before a vast, oppressive aura descended on the city.

• Zhang Sanxian disappeared, leaving the martial arena devastated, while Su Zhi directed Sea Immortal Island’s disciples to treat the wounded.
• Rock True Person slipped away unnoticed, and Miao Lie saw him leave before riding off himself to seek entertainment.
• Rock True Person reached a secluded residence and pressed the remote control for the Demonfire Thunder buried beneath the martial arena.
• The Demonfire Thunder exploded beneath the Ironclad Alliance’s branch, destroying much of Screen Sea City and killing countless people.
• Rock True Person returned to the venue’s outskirts, suffered injuries deliberately, and pretended to be unconscious; rescuers found him and carried him to a medical tent.
• A vast, heavy aura descended over nearly half of Screen Sea City.

Daoist Yanghe vowed revenge on Zhang Sanxian for the massacre at the pass while Zhang fled north toward the grasslands in search of the second Immortal Mirror. Zhang reached Iron Gate Gorge and saw Divine Strategy Army soldiers extorting travelers at the checkpoint.

• Daoist Yanghe revived the gravely injured Rock True Person, who blamed Zhang Sanxian for the deaths and destruction at the venue.
• Daoist Yanghe swore to hunt Zhang Sanxian down and unleashed the pressure of his Sacred Embryo, terrifying those around him.
• Zhang Sanxian left Xiao Fangzheng in Lian Shanyu's care and flew north toward the Mystic Ridge Mountains.
• Zhang Sanxian descended near Iron Gate Gorge, where the Divine Strategy Army had barricaded the pass and stopped travelers.
• A burly officer demanded silver tolls from people seeking passage and claimed three-tenths of the value of their goods.

Zhang Sanxian reached Iron Gate Pass and attacked the corrupt Divine Strategy Army, cutting down its soldiers and confronting the three generals stationed there. He killed the first general with a single palm strike as the battle began.

• Zhang Sanxian observed the Divine Strategy Army extorting Central Plains travelers while favoring Northern Di merchants at Iron Gate Pass.
• Zhang Sanxian appeared at the checkpoint, declared the soldiers deserved death, and used Sword Qi to destroy the barricades and slaughter dozens of them.
• The alarm sounded, and the three Returning Truth generals attacked Zhang Sanxian from the pass walls.
• Zhang Sanxian dodged the battle-axe general’s strike and smashed through his armor with a palm, sending him flying with a fatal wound.

Zhang Sanxian annihilated the Divine Strategy Army at Iron Gate Pass and destroyed the pass’s defenses. He left the civilians staring in fear and reverence as sunlight shone through the shattered gate.

• Zhang Sanxian killed the three Return-to-Truth Realm commanders within three breaths using overwhelming force and gravity.
• The Divine Strategy Army soldiers fled, but Zhang Sanxian swept the pass with his laser eyes, killing more than 2,800 soldiers and gaining thirty-four fragments.
• Zhang Sanxian’s attack left Iron Gate Pass riddled with damage and unusable.
• Zhang Sanxian kicked apart the iron-clad gate, killing the Northern Di merchants behind it and opening a huge passage through the wall.

After breaching Iron Gate Pass, Zhang Sanxian crossed the grasslands to find the Northern Di ancestral temple. He learned its general location from a merchant caravan, then reached the White Sheep Tribe seeking more precise intelligence.

• Zhang Sanxian left a hidden mass of frigid air in Iron Gate Pass that would eventually freeze and seal the gorge.
• Zhang Sanxian stopped a Northern Di merchant caravan and demanded to know where the royal court and ancestral temple were located.
• A frightened merchant told Zhang Sanxian that the royal court stood by the Onon River and the ancestral temple was on Karakorum Ice Peak, then identified the nearby White Sheep Tribe.
• Zhang Sanxian killed the caravan members and flew north to the White Sheep Tribe's camp.
• Zhang Sanxian concealed his aura and walked toward the largest golden-roofed tent, drawing the attention of the Di herders.

Zhang Sanxian entered the White Sheep Tribe’s camp seeking directions, but after its people mocked and attacked him, he slaughtered their warriors with overwhelming power. Three powerful Di figures emerged from the main tent to confront him.

• Kasangga mocked Zhang Sanxian and threatened him, so Zhang Sanxian killed him and his horse with a flash of sword light.
• The White Sheep Tribe raised the alarm and sent more than a hundred cavalrymen to attack Zhang Sanxian.
• Zhang Sanxian used gravitational force to suspend the cavalry and crush them into a rain of blood.
• Zhang Sanxian raced among the fleeing reinforcements and destroyed riders, horses, tents, and parts of the camp with supersonic punches.
• Three powerful Di figures charged from the golden-roofed main tent and confronted Zhang Sanxian.

Zhang Sanxian defeated the White Sheep Tribe’s strongest warriors, forced its chieftain to reveal a hidden route to Karakorum, and set out for the second Immortal Mirror. During his journey across the ice plains, he discovered a ruined ancient city and sensed something watching him.

• Zhang Sanxian killed the three White Sheep Tribe experts and devastated their camp.
• Zhang Sanxian used his zither to make the guards kill one another, then forced the chieftain to describe a hidden ancient path to Karakorum.
• Zhang Sanxian killed the chieftain with Sword Qi and flew north toward the second Immortal Mirror.
• After flying five thousand li, Zhang Sanxian spotted and landed at a ruined ancient city on the ice plain.
• Zhang Sanxian sensed that something within the city was observing him.

Zhang Sanxian explored a strange ancient city, destroying monsters made from black mud and ice before finding frightened survivors hiding from the horrors that emerged at night. As a tide of grotesque monsters advanced, he calmly reached for his cane sword.

• Zhang Sanxian found monsters gnawing on a frozen corpse and blasted them apart with a wave of force.
• Zhang Sanxian continued through the city as the streets and buildings warped into a foul, fleshy landscape.
• Zhang Sanxian found a group of Central Plains survivors sheltering in a ruined house and asked where he was.
• A middle-aged man and an old woman warned Zhang Sanxian to hide before nightfall, when man-eating monsters appeared.
• Zhang Sanxian walked toward the approaching darkness as it formed into a tide of grotesque monsters, then placed a hand on his cane sword.

Zhang Sanxian slaughtered the monsters in the ancient city, entered the black vortex to reach hell, and found a tortured girl sustained by sinister earth qi. The girl asked him why he was not afraid of pain.

• Zhang Sanxian noticed that the monster-filled street had twisted spacetime as he cut through the creatures with his sword.
• A black vortex formed after the monsters were defeated, and Zhang Sanxian entered it despite the middle-aged man’s warning that it led to hell.
• The ancient city returned to its ruined, silent state after Zhang Sanxian vanished, and its survivors cautiously left their shelter.
• Zhang Sanxian crossed an endless realm of painful emotions, resisting the mental assaults as he followed Phenomenon Fiction’s guidance.
• Zhang Sanxian found a young girl impaled by steel needles and sustained by sinister earth qi, and she asked whether he was unafraid of pain.

Zhang Sanxian accepted Gu Youlian’s immense psychic power and the memories of twenty years of torture, enduring them without faltering. Gu Youlian died after naming her father, Demon Sect leader Gu Qianjue, as her enemy and asking Zhang Sanxian to kill him, while Zhang gained two Stronger Fragments and the [Heart-Eroding Martial Path] cultivation system.

• Zhang Sanxian learned that Gu Youlian’s suffering and psychic power had shaped the ancient city and its monsters.
• Zhang Sanxian promised to take Gu Youlian’s pain and power from her.
• Gu Youlian poured her psychic power and twenty years of painful memories into Zhang Sanxian, who remained unaffected.
• Gu Youlian regained her hatred as she died and asked Zhang Sanxian to kill her father, Gu Qianjue.
• Gu Youlian crumbled into ash, and Zhang Sanxian obtained two Stronger Fragments and the [Heart-Eroding Martial Path] system.

After Gu Youlian died, Zhang Sanxian inherited her powers and memories, regained his sight, and discovered the Demon Cult’s connection to Sea Immortal Island. He began studying Gu Youlian’s pain-based cultivation system and its ranks.

• Gu Youlian’s death caused her dark domain to collapse, and Zhang Sanxian found the people in the ancient city had become long-dead skeletons.
• Zhang Sanxian realized the apparent people had been embodiments of Gu Youlian’s hope, which had blurred the boundary between life and death.
• Zhang Sanxian inherited Gu Youlian’s power, gained the ability to see, and used her memories to locate the Demon Cult’s headquarters on Sea Immortal Island.
• Zhang Sanxian condemned Sea Immortal Island and its leader, Hua Yuanqing—also known as Gu Qianjue—and threatened its disciples.
• Zhang Sanxian studied Gu Youlian’s Heart-Eroding Martial Path, learning how her pain could pollute and reshape reality and examining its first two cultivation realms.

Zhang Sanxian reached Mind-Image Cocoon Metamorphosis after receiving Gu Youlian’s spiritual power, then confronted three inspectors who arrived at the ancient city. As one attacked, Zhang Sanxian trapped him in a painful hallucination of Gu Youlian.

• Zhang Sanxian reflected on the Heart-Eroding Martial Path and discovered that his attribute panel now showed Mad Soul Level 3.
• Zhang Sanxian sensed three Return-to-Truth-level figures approaching from the east and decided to test his abilities on them.
• Iron Mask, a short bluish-gray man, and a tall man with a venomous snake arrived to inspect the needle chamber and check on Second Miss Gu Youlian.
• The three inspectors failed to notice Zhang Sanxian until he opened his eyes, and they took fighting stances when he addressed them.
• The short, stocky man charged Zhang Sanxian with flesh-and-blood hammers, but Zhang Sanxian’s gaze made him see Gu Youlian pierced by steel needles and wailing in pain.