Chapter Summaries

Chen Mu ferried flood survivors to safety and continued organizing rescues as the Heaven Sword Sect passed without confronting him. Meanwhile, Meng Danyun fought off a Blood Shadow Tower assassin and continued searching the Qingping River for rare earth-vein treasures, leaving Chen Mu out of the dangerous sect conflict for now.

• Chen Mu recognized Gu Hong among the Heaven Sword Sect disciples passing on the river but focused on guiding more than a hundred villagers to shore.
• The villagers thanked Chen Mu, and he instructed Surveillance Department personnel to escort them to safety while he returned to rescue others.
• Meng Danyun blocked an attack from Fu Ling of the Blood Shadow Tower and identified Hua Nongying of the Joyful Union Sect hiding nearby.
• Hua Nongying withdrew, and Meng Danyun used her perception amid the Tide Disaster to continue searching the river for rare treasures.
• Meng Danyun considered leaving treasures with Chen Mu but decided not to involve him in the dangerous conflict among the sects.

Chen Mu rescued the final group of flood victims in Jingnan Township, then returned to Jing Yu County to assess the tide disaster. After reviewing the county’s reports, he approved Yan Guang’s existing response and prepared to make only necessary adjustments.

• Chen Mu’s boat reached shore, where he killed a Tier Four Demon Crocodile with a thrown blade after it attacked officials.
• The last disaster victims disembarked, and Chen Mu sent them to safety before returning alone to Jing Yu County.
• Chen Mu entered the county yamen and met Yan Guang, who pledged to obey his orders across the Qingping River Basin.
• Chen Mu ordered the county magistrate to provide reports on the disaster and studied Jing Yu County’s map.
• After hearing the officials’ reports, Chen Mu praised Yan Guang’s measured deployment and decided against unnecessary changes.

Chen Mu finished reviewing Jing Yu County’s flood preparations and sought a metallurgist to temper his Quicksilver Saber with Mystic Fire Ore. He persuaded the elderly Qi Ge to take the job and promised to recommend Qi Ge’s son to the Metallurgy Bureau.

• Chen Mu supplemented Yan Guang’s flood-response plan by ordering nearby villages monitored and evacuated if danger arose.
• Chen Mu asked about metallurgists in Jing Yu County and learned that Fang Yi’s former master, Qi Ge, lived nearby.
• Chen Mu visited Qi Ge and asked him to fuse Mystic Fire Ore into the Quicksilver Saber.
• Qi Ge agreed to temper the saber, and Chen Mu promised to recommend Qi Ge’s son to the Metallurgy Bureau.
• Chen Mu and Qi Ge headed to the county government’s Smelting Platform so Qi Ge could begin forging.

Chen Mu used an Earth Essence Pearl to temper his five viscera and discovered that the System Panel could accelerate the process by perfectly converting stored medicinal power. After completing two cycles, he gained strength but had to rest while his meridians and blood vessels adapted.

• Chen Mu crushed an Earth Essence Pearl, mixed it with medicinal herbs, and drank the brew to nourish his spleen.
• Chen Mu discovered that consuming the brew had activated an Inner Breath Method entry on the System Panel and that its experience points decreased as his viscera naturally tempered.
• Chen Mu spent experience points to complete one full cycle of five-viscera tempering, strengthening his Dao Spirits and Yuangang True Force.
• Chen Mu enhanced the Inner Breath Method again and completed a second cycle, but the strain left him weak because his meridians and blood vessels had not adapted.
• Chen Mu rested for four or five hours, then rose feeling recovered and assessed his increased strength.

Chen Mu used Li Fire Power of Intent to help Qi Ge forge a Treasure Weapon suited to his Li Fire, then named it the Li Fire Saber. He set out to investigate the Qingping River Basin for aquatic demons and earth-vein disturbances, while Xue Lin explored the same region and remained intent on catching up to him.

• Chen Mu visited the Smelting Platform and strengthened the furnace fire with Li Fire Power of Intent so Qi Ge could finish forging the saber.
• Qi Ge completed the crimson Treasure Weapon, and Chen Mu named it the Li Fire Saber after discovering it increased the power of his Li Fire by thirty percent.
• Chen Mu left the county office and traveled upstream along the Qingping River to investigate aquatic demons and possible earth-vein disturbances.
• Chen Mu sensed a faint, familiar aura in the fog but continued on without identifying Xue Lin.
• Xue Lin, also exploring the river basin, cautiously avoided Chen Mu and considered him a rival he would need to grow stronger to surpass.

Chen Mu gathered minerals from an Earth Vein Eruption, killed a Blood Shadow Tower assassin who ambushed him, and sensed that the earth veins were converging on the lower river marsh. As true disciples from several sects gathered there, Chen Mu arrived and ordered officials to evacuate nearby villagers before the coming upheaval.

• Chen Mu tracked an Earth Vein Eruption, gathered minerals from an underground hollow, and returned to the riverbank.
• A Blood Shadow Tower assassin ambushed Chen Mu, but Chen Mu killed him with lightning and a strike of muddy water.
• Xue Lin and other groups searched the downstream marsh for objects carried out by the floods, where Hou Lingling clashed with Profound Mystery Pavilion disciples.
• Hua Nongying intervened on Hou Lingling’s behalf, and Han Guang, Gu Hong, and Meng Danyun arrived as tremors shook the marsh.
• Chen Mu reached the marsh and ordered Surveillance Department and Demon Subduing Office personnel to evacuate villagers because the earth veins were converging there.

An Earth Dragon Turns Over sends towering waves through the marsh, sweeping away sect disciples and opening fissures in the Earth Vein. Chen Mu and several other martial artists enter the cracks and discover a vast underground cavern system.

• The Earth Vein erupts into a massive earthquake, sending hundred-zhang waves through the marsh and submerging Chen Mu, Meng Danyun, and the sect disciples.
• Chen Mu withstands the waves while the true disciples shield those behind them; after the torrent eases, Gu Hong leads his disciples toward the surface and enters a nearby fissure.
• Meng Danyun enters another fissure, followed by a blood-red shadow, and Chen Mu soon follows into the fractured Earth Vein.
• Chen Mu descends over a hundred zhang into a sprawling underground cavern system and senses that its sturdy rock walls carry Earth Vein Force.

Chen Mu explored the underground caverns and found a rare heavy stone, while Meng Danyun collected Miracle Spirit Pearls and was ambushed by Blood Shadow Tower attackers. The chapter left Meng Danyun fighting several assailants underwater as she tried to escape.

• Chen Mu searched the cavern walls, discarded pieces of Cold Jade Ore and Flame Jade Ore, and found a fist-sized piece of heavy stone.
• Chen Mu considered forging a second, heavy saber and hung the stone from his belt before continuing deeper underground.
• Meng Danyun found and collected three Miracle Spirit Pearls from stalactites in a cavern.
• A Blood Shadow Tower assassin attacked Meng Danyun and blocked her retreat through the passage she had entered.
• Meng Danyun avoided a follow-up attack from Mandarin Duck Halberds by swimming toward an upper passage.
• A jade-colored Bamboo Staff struck at Meng Danyun, but she knocked it aside with her Silver Water Sword.

Meng Danyun was trapped underwater by Han Guang, three Profound Mystery Pavilion deacons, and a Blood Shadow Tower assassin, and she nearly advanced her Kan Water Power of Intent while fighting them. Chen Mu arrived just as the assassin wounded her, and Han Guang turned to attack him.

• Meng Danyun realized that Han Guang and the Profound Mystery Pavilion fighters had joined forces with a Blood Shadow Tower assassin to ambush her and block the cavern’s exits.
• Han Guang and the three deacons attacked while the assassin stayed hidden, and Meng Danyun used the water veins to hold off their tightening encirclement.
• As Meng Danyun neared a breakthrough in her Kan Water Power of Intent, Han Guang revealed his Midsummer Power of Intent and struck while she was distracted.
• The Blood Shadow Tower assassin attacked Meng Danyun from behind, but she stopped his dagger with her hand and golden-thread inner armor.
• Chen Mu entered the cavern, and Meng Danyun recognized him as an ally who had reached the Five Viscera Realm.
• Han Guang saw Chen Mu’s arrival as an opportunity and suddenly swung his bamboo staff at the back of Chen Mu’s head.

Chen Mu intervened in the underwater battle, overpowering Han Guang with his wind, thunder, and fire powers while Meng Danyun broke free of the deacons’ attack. Han Guang escaped after a jade pendant blocked Chen Mu’s killing strike, and the deacons fled as Chen Mu pursued him.

• Meng Danyun warned Chen Mu about Han Guang’s attack, but the three Profound Mystery Pavilion deacons forced her to defend herself.
• Chen Mu used second-step Trigram Wind and Trigram Thunder powers to overwhelm Han Guang, then attacked with a Li Fire Saber strike.
• Han Guang’s jade pendant blocked the fatal blow, allowing him to flee as Chen Mu pursued him.
• Chen Mu struck the Blood Shadow Tower assassin, and Meng Danyun followed up by piercing the assassin through the waist and abdomen with her Silver Water Sword.
• Meng Danyun vanished into the water channels, and the three Profound Mystery Pavilion deacons decided to flee rather than face Chen Mu.

Chen Mu pursued Han Guang through the underground waterways, where Han Guang used a Black Water Demon Snake to delay him. Chen Mu cornered and killed Han Guang in a dead-end cavern, then struck his apparent corpse again to prevent him from surviving by deception.

• Chen Mu chased Han Guang through the underground waterways despite Han Guang's attempts to talk him into giving up.
• Han Guang slipped past a Black Water Demon Snake, which attacked Chen Mu and delayed his pursuit.
• Chen Mu avoided fighting the snake for long and followed Han Guang into an upward passage that led to a dead-end cavern.
• Han Guang tried to flee back into the pool, but Chen Mu blocked him and struck him down with a wind, thunder, and fire blade.
• Chen Mu discovered Han Guang was still alive and stabbed through his chest before cutting off his head.

After killing Han Guang, Chen Mu searched the hidden stone cavern and uncovered a lightning-attributed Spirit Weapon called Evil-Breaker. He tested its overwhelming power and claimed the ancient spear, leaving the story with him recovering from its immense cost.

• Chen Mu examined Han Guang's corpse, took the Essence Spirit Jade Pendant and Bamboo Staff, then burned the body to ashes.
• Chen Mu collected spiritual ores and searched the cavern walls, eventually sensing a hollow chamber hidden behind the rock.
• Chen Mu broke through the wall and discovered a skeleton beside a black short spear that struck back with purple lightning.
• Chen Mu recognized the spear as a Spirit Weapon, subdued its lightning, and identified its name as Evil-Breaker.
• Chen Mu tested Evil-Breaker against the rock wall and saw it pierce far deeper than his usual attacks, though the effort nearly exhausted his Origin Astral Force.
• Chen Mu retrieved the spear, bowed toward the skeleton, and promised to honor the weapon's reputation.

Chen Mu searched the underground grotto for Meng Danyun and checked that the shattered earth vein remained secure, while Meng Danyun found an Essence Yin Earth Pearl and encountered a rare Earth Essence Azure Lotus. The chapter ended with her watching Gu Hong and Hua Nongying battle over the lotus as a Blood Shadow Tower assassin lurked nearby.

• Chen Mu returned to the shattered earth vein, confirmed it had not recovered, and found no sign of Meng Danyun in the cavern where she had been besieged.
• Meng Danyun killed the wounded Blood Shadow Tower assassin, failed to find the fleeing Profound Mystery Pavilion stewards, and discovered an Essence Yin Earth Pearl in the sludge.
• Meng Danyun followed an underground waterway into an un flooded cavern, where a Blood Shadow Tower assassin attacked her and then fled.
• Meng Danyun spotted an Earth Essence Azure Lotus and found Gu Hong and Hua Nongying fighting beside it.
• Meng Danyun recognized that Gu Hong's Heart Sword Power of Intent might have reached the second step as he pressed Hua Nongying with formless Sword Qi, while she defended herself with ice.

Chen Mu arrived at the cavern where Meng Danyun, Gu Hong, and Hua Nongying contended over the Earth Essence Azure Lotus. He revealed three second-step Powers of Intent, defeated Gu Hong with one saber strike, and challenged Hua Nongying.

• Meng Danyun realized Hua Nongying had recently grasped the Taiyin Power of Intent and wondered how Chen Mu had fared against Han Guang.
• Chen Mu emerged from the underwater passage and joined Meng Danyun, who told him the cavern’s terrain and her Kan Water Power of Intent kept her safe.
• Gu Hong and Hua Nongying paused their fight and argued over dividing the six Earth Essence Azure Lotus Seeds as Chen Mu approached.
• Chen Mu revealed that his Trigram Wind, Trigram Thunder, and Li Fire Powers of Intent had all reached the second step, stunning Gu Hong, Hua Nongying, and Ling Wu.
• Gu Hong attacked Chen Mu with his Heart Sword, but Chen Mu blocked its intent and shattered the Sword Qi with a Thunder Fire Saber strike, sending Gu Hong into the pool and breaking his Heart Sword intent.
• Chen Mu lowered his saber and asked Hua Nongying if she would fight him next.

Chen Mu and Meng Danyun claimed the Earth Essence Azure Lotus Seeds and escaped the closing underground cavern. After they surfaced, Xue Huaiyi reported a Tier Five water demon Fengyi attacking Jing Yu County, and Chen Mu rushed off to confront it.

• Chen Mu drove Hua Nongying away, then took one Azure Lotus Seed for Meng Danyun and exchanged other treasures with her.
• Chen Mu and Meng Danyun left the underground cavern and agreed to go their separate ways, with Meng Danyun planning to enter seclusion.
• After they surfaced at the lake, Xue Huaiyi asked Meng Danyun to stop a Tier Five demon attacking Jing Yu County.
• Chen Mu learned the demon was Fengyi and hurried toward the county, while Meng Danyun told Xue Huaiyi that Chen Mu had defeated Gu Hong with one slash.
• Xue Huaiyi and Xue Lin were left stunned by Meng Danyun's account of Chen Mu's strength.

Chen Mu saved Jing Yu County from Water Demon Feng Yi by killing the Tier Five demon with lightning and his saber. He returned to the county office to rest, while the Tide Disaster’s largest upheavals had subsided but the disaster was not yet over.

• Yan Guang watched Water Demon Feng Yi ravage an estate east of Jing Yu County and feared it would attack the county seat.
• A thunderclap drew Feng Yi’s attention to Yan Guang and his scouts, and the demon charged at them.
• Chen Mu struck Feng Yi with heavenly lightning, then split its head with the Li Fire Saber and killed it.
• Chen Mu ordered Yan Guang to transport the demon’s corpse to the county seat, then told the county magistrate the threat had been handled.
• Chen Mu returned to his room, brewed tea, and rested, reflecting that the Tide Disaster’s major upheavals had passed.

During the Tide Disaster, Yan Jingqing effortlessly destroyed a demon horde and learned of Chen Mu’s remarkable victories, while Gu Hong received guidance from Jiang Changsheng after losing to Chen Mu. As the disaster subsided, news of Chen Mu’s rise spread beyond Jade Commandery and reached the Seven Mysteries Sect.

• Yan Jingqing arrived at the Wusha River and shattered Ran Jiang and dozens of demons without harming the officials, then ordered Xue Huaikong’s forces to rest and resume patrols.
• A scout told Yan Jingqing about Chen Mu’s victories over Feng Yi, Hua Nongying, Gu Hong, and other sect disciples, and Yan Jingqing acknowledged that he had underestimated Chen Mu.
• Xue Huaikong heard of Chen Mu’s accomplishments and realized that Chen Mu had the potential to become a leading figure among Jade Province’s younger generation.
• Jiang Changsheng found Gu Hong dispirited after his defeat and urged him to learn from the loss and keep advancing; Gu Hong thanked his master for the guidance.
• Yu Jiujiang received news of Chen Mu’s achievements and laughed with relief after the messenger left.
• The Tide Disaster subsided, and news of Chen Mu entering the Five Viscera Realm, slaying demons, and defeating true disciples spread through Jade Province and reached the Seven Mysteries Sect.

Qi Zhiyuan discussed the North Suppressing Manor’s expansion and the Seven Mysteries Sect’s place amid the province’s turmoil, then praised the sect’s showing in Horizon Sea Pavilion’s Hanbei Dao New Talent Rankings. After returning to Jade City, Chen Mu ordered officials to treat conscripted laborers fairly and reunited with Chen Yue and Yu Ru, who showed him his ranking entry.

• Qi Zhiyuan learned that the North Suppressing Manor had taken You Province and discussed the danger its growing power posed to the region.
• Qi Zhiyuan and Qiao Yue noted the Seven Mysteries Sect’s listed talents and counted Chen Mu among their own despite his not yet being a true disciple.
• Chen Mu visited the city walls, ordered the yamen runner not to overwork conscripted laborers, and warned officials against embezzling their meal silver.
• Chen Mu returned to the Yu Family Residence and found Chen Yue and Yu Ru reading the Hanbei Dao New Talent Rankings.
• Chen Mu read about Zuo Qianqiu and other ranked figures, then found himself listed twenty-seventh with high comprehension and aptitude but a lower strength assessment.

Chen Mu returned home after his name appeared on the New Talent Rankings and reunited with Xiao He and Xu Hongyu. He cherished his family and companions as his Pure Land, while recognizing that protecting it in the chaotic world would require the backing of Yan Jingqing and the Seven Mysteries Sect.

• Chen Yue and Yu Ru praised Chen Mu's ranking, but he dismissed the New Talent Rankings as a fleeting reputation beside the Wind and Cloud Rankings.
• Chen Mu visited the eastern courtyard and found Xiao He practicing martial arts; he teased her, and she admitted she feared he might no longer want her.
• Chen Mu told Xiao He that she would remain close to Xu Hongyu after joining his household, then playfully asked whose orders she would follow first.
• Xu Hongyu arrived in her new Vice Capital Director uniform and told Chen Mu she had been promoted after revealing her Kan Water Power of Intent.
• Chen Mu and Xu Hongyu spoke warmly, and he reflected that his loved ones were his Pure Land and that he would need the Seven Mysteries Sect's support to protect them.

Chen Mu returned from the Tide Disaster, gave Xu Hongyu Blood Ganoderma to support her cultivation, and reported the deaths of Cheng Houhua and Han Guang to Yan Jingqing. Yan Jingqing backed Chen Mu’s actions, discussed his plans to join the Seven Mysteries Sect, and offered to officiate his upcoming wedding.

• Chen Mu gave Xu Hongyu Blood Ganoderma and encouraged her to use it to advance her Bone Tempering cultivation.
• Chen Mu left Xu Hongyu after learning that Yan Jingqing had returned, while Xiao He felt reassured by Chen Mu’s earlier attention to her.
• Chen Mu reported the Tide Disaster and the deaths of Cheng Houhua and Han Guang to Yan Jingqing, who said the Profound Mystery Pavilion had no grounds to object.
• Yan Jingqing told Chen Mu that the Seven Mysteries Sect wanted to know when he would visit, and Chen Mu said he planned to go with Senior Sister Meng after she emerged from seclusion.
• Yan Jingqing confirmed Chen Mu’s wedding to the Yu Family girl had been rescheduled for two months later and offered to serve as its master of ceremonies.
• Chen Mu modestly rejected Yan Jingqing’s prediction that he would reach the Wind and Cloud Rankings within seven or eight years.