Recaps

A heavily armored force advanced on Changfeng County, and Zhang Siyuan rallied the county’s factions by offering valuable martial resources as rewards for defending it. Lu Li suspected the magistrate’s generous offer and the looming attack were connected, and Zhang Siyuan met his gaze.

• A force of roughly a thousand armored men marched through the snow toward Changfeng County.
• Zhang Siyuan told the county’s leaders that an elite force was approaching and urged them to help defend the city.
• The family heads and factions balked at joining the fight, citing their weakness and recent losses.
• Zhang Siyuan displayed a cart of valuable rewards, including Dragon Essence Pills, Purple Sun Pills, and the Earth-Shaking Fist, prompting many factions to volunteer.
• Lu Li warned Sister Yue and the Clan Head that something was wrong, then wondered whether rebels were behind the attack and Zhang Siyuan’s actions.
• Zhang Siyuan looked back at Lu Li as Lu Li studied him suspiciously.

Zhang Siyuan coerced Huang He into committing the Huang Family to the coming fight, while Lu Li suspected the county magistrate was secretly working with the Rebel Army. As they left the county yamen, Meng Yu challenged Lu Li’s reputation and dismissed him, unaware of his hidden identity as the Blood Ghost.

• Zhang Siyuan pressured Huang He to accept the resources and join the battle, using the other faction leaders to make refusal dangerous.
• Lu Li warned Huang He and Huang Rongyue that Zhang Siyuan might be allied with the Rebel Army and explained his theory that the magistrate wanted to stir unrest and revive rebel morale.
• Huang He admitted the Huang Family had no easy way out, and Huang Rongyue said her sect would not intervene.
• Meng Yu stopped Lu Li, introduced himself as a disciple of the Iron Mountain Fist Hall, and left after deciding Lu Li was weaker than he was.
• Huang Rongyue explained Meng Yu’s reputation and privately recalled that Lu Li was the Blood Ghost, then blushed as she thought of him protecting her.

The Rebel Army arrived at Changfeng County ahead of schedule, and its young officer Zhou Sheng challenged the defenders to duels. After Zhou Sheng killed Wang Tai and one of his disciples, Meng Yu rode out to face him.

• The county magistrate assigned the city defenders to guard three sides and put Zhang Wu in charge of helping the martial clans defend North City.
• Zhou Sheng of the Yellow Turban Army rode out and challenged the defenders, but no one initially answered him.
• Wang Tai went out to fight Zhou Sheng, but Zhou Sheng killed him with a single blow.
• One of Wang Tai's disciples rode out to avenge his master, and Zhou Sheng killed him too.
• Meng Yu set out to fight Zhou Sheng despite his master's protest, and Zhang Wu allowed him to go.

Zhou Sheng defeated Meng Yu in a brutal duel outside the city gate, leaving Great Yan’s clan leaders unwilling to challenge him. Zhang Wu then singled out Lu Li to fight, while Lu Li had so far chosen to stay out of the conflict.

• Zhou Sheng mocked Meng Yu, who charged him and killed Zhou Sheng’s prized Fire Cloud Steed with a punch.
• Zhou Sheng and Meng Yu exchanged blows, but Zhou Sheng’s growing strength overwhelmed Meng Yu and forced him to flee toward the city gate.
• Zhou Sheng hurled his axe at the gate as Meng Yu escaped, then returned to taunt the clan leaders, none of whom dared fight him.
• Lu Li judged that he could defeat Zhou Sheng but kept watching from the sidelines because the others’ dispute did not concern him.
• Zhang Wu asked for a challenger, and when everyone stayed silent, he told Lu Li to fight Zhou Sheng.

Lu Li went out to face Zhou Sheng after Zhang Wu pressured him to fight, despite his injuries. He began attacking with overwhelming speed and force, leaving Zhou Sheng to realize he had misjudged him.

• Zhang Wu used military orders and the hostile crowd to force Lu Li to fight, while Huang Rongyue and Meng Yu objected.
• Lu Li reassured Huang Rongyue, then leapt from the city wall as Zhang Wu briefly froze under his intimidating gaze.
• Huang Rongyue stayed calm because she knew Lu Li was the Blood Ghost, while the others feared he had defected or would die.
• Zhou Sheng taunted Lu Li and tried to unsettle him, but Lu Li rushed forward with the Flying Swallow Step.
• Lu Li knocked Zhou Sheng's axe off course with a palm strike, then drove a powerful punch toward his chest.

Lu Li defeated and killed Zhou Sheng in front of the Rebel Army, using his combat skill and poison to overcome the powerful fighter. General Zhou grieved for his son while the family heads praised Lu Li, and Zhang Wu resolved to eliminate him.

• Lu Li dodged Zhou Sheng's heavy axe swing and struck him twice, leaving him badly wounded.
• Lu Li's poison took effect, and he killed Zhou Sheng with a final attack.
• General Zhou learned that his son had died and restrained himself from attacking after his adviser warned him about the enemy's terrain advantage.
• Huang He praised Lu Li and refused another family head's attempt to claim him as a subordinate.
• Huang Rongyue watched Lu Li silently, while Zhang Wu vowed that Lu Li must be eliminated.

Lu Li defeated three enemy officers, including General Tai of the Organ-Refining Realm, and badly damaged the rebel army’s morale. As Huang Rongyue and the family heads urged Zhang Wu to bring Lu Li back to safety, Zhang Wu refused and confronted Huang Rongyue.

• A young officer in white challenged Lu Li, but Lu Li killed him after the officer realized too late that he had been poisoned.
• Lu Li taunted the enemy lines, and a middle-aged officer named General Tai went out to fight him.
• Lu Li crushed General Tai’s skull with one punch, shocking both armies and further weakening the enemy’s morale.
• Huang Rongyue, Huang He, and the family heads urged Zhang Wu to bring Lu Li up from the battlefield before the enemy resorted to dirty tricks.
• Zhang Wu refused to recall Lu Li and argued with Huang Rongyue about his military experience and whether Lu Li had earned enough merit.

Zhang Wu blocked Huang Rongyue from sending Lu Li back into the fight, while Lu Li concluded that the county magistrate was colluding with the rebels. As a concealed silver needle struck at him, Lu Li caught and shattered it, and Zhang Wu reacted with alarm.

• Huang Rongyue grabbed Zhang Wu and challenged his authority, but Zhang Wu argued that risking the families and the city to help Lu Li was unjustifiable.
• The family heads sided with Zhang Wu, and Huang He urged Huang Rongyue to stay calm; she warned Zhang Wu that she would take his head if anything happened to Lu Li.
• Meng Yu spoke up in favor of Lu Li, but his master silenced him and explained that someone would have to take Lu Li's place in the fight.
• Lu Li watched the argument and suspected that Zhang Wu was deliberately keeping him from defending the city, concluding that the county magistrate was colluding with the rebels.
• An attacker fired a silver needle at Lu Li's forehead, but Lu Li caught it and shattered it before glaring at Zhang Wu.

Lu Li survived an assassination attempt and fought through the enemy assault, killing the commander who had fired the hidden weapon. After rescuing Huang Rongyue, he set off to find Zhang Wu while she watched him return to battle.

• General Zhou abandoned his plan to kill Lu Li before the armies met and ordered a full assault.
• Meng Yu leaped from the city wall, inspiring the families and martial artists to join the fight.
• Lu Li used Solid Stone Body to withstand a cavalryman’s spear, then fought his way through the enemy ranks.
• Lu Li hunted down and killed the commander who had fired the cold arrow.
• Lu Li rescued Huang Rongyue from surrounding commanders and cavalrymen, then went to search for Zhang Wu.

Lu Li killed Zhang Wu after exposing his treachery and continued slaughtering enemy soldiers on the battlefield. As battle after battle strengthened his Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist, he eagerly charged at another enemy officer.

• Lu Li spotted Zhang Wu pretending to be surrounded and charged into the enemy encirclement.
• Zhang Wu tried to enlist Lu Li's help, but Lu Li accused him of putting on an act and attacked him.
• Lu Li shattered Zhang Wu's arm and killed him with a punch to the head, then killed the enemy officers around them.
• Lu Li continued fighting until the soldiers feared to approach him, while his Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist proficiency rose through the fighting.
• Lu Li broke an approaching officer's horse's legs, knocked him to the ground, and crushed him underfoot.

Lu Li routed the rebels at North City, and General Zhou ordered a retreat after suffering heavy losses. As the defenders celebrated, Huang Rongyue left in distress and confessed to Huang He that she feared she was not good enough for Blood Ghost.

• Lu Li charged through the rebels, killing many and breaking their morale, while General Zhou ordered his troops to retreat.
• The defenders surveyed the battlefield and mourned their dead, and Lu Li helped Zhang Wu up while pretending the commander had died.
• The family heads praised Lu Li and tried to match him with their female relatives, but he modestly declined.
• Huang Rongyue abruptly ended the gathering and left with Huang He, while the others guessed she was jealous of the matchmaking.
• Huang Rongyue told Huang He that she worried she might not be good enough for Blood Ghost.

Lu Li completed the Heart-Severing Gut-Breaking Powder and learned that County Magistrate Zhang Siyuan still wanted him dead after Zhang Wu’s death. As the troops praised Lu Li’s achievements, Huang He urged Zhang Siyuan to reward him with an Inner-Qi Realm martial art.

• Huang Rongyue resolved to train harder so she could share Blood Ghost’s burdens, while Lu Li recognized her feelings but decided to focus on martial cultivation and the threat from the Incense Fragrance Sect.
• Lu Li swallowed two Dragon Essence Pills and raised his Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist proficiency by five hundred points.
• Lu Li adjusted the poison recipe to compensate for missing ingredients and completed the Heart-Severing Gut-Breaking Powder.
• County Magistrate Zhang Siyuan arrived, questioned the troops about Zhang Wu’s death, and eyed Lu Li suspiciously when Lu Li said he had found the corpse.
• The troops praised Lu Li’s achievements and put him forward for the top reward, prompting Huang He to ask Zhang Siyuan to give him an Inner-Qi Realm martial art.

Zhang Siyuan rewarded Lu Li with the Five-Tiger Coiling Dragon Blade, a priceless weapon whose accumulated killing intent threatened to overwhelm its wielder. Lu Li resisted its influence and accepted the blade, while Zhang Siyuan secretly expected it to eventually kill him.

• Zhang Siyuan suppressed his anger, praised Lu Li, and ordered the Five-Tiger Coiling Dragon Blade brought out as a reward.
• The county magistrate and blade-users described the blade's extraordinary materials, history, sharpness, and deadly killing intent.
• Zhang Siyuan urged Lu Li to accept the blade for his training at the Broken Mountain Sect, and Lu Li agreed despite his surprise.
• When Lu Li lifted the blade, its killing intent made him see the dragon and tigers come alive and nearly drove him to slaughter, but he regained his senses.
• Zhang Siyuan privately expected the blade's killing intent to kill Lu Li, then distributed rewards and left with his men.
• One of Zhang Siyuan's men asked why he had given the blade to Lu Li when they had all wanted it.

Zhang Siyuan learned that Lu Li had killed General Zhang Wu and vowed revenge, while Lu Li received the Five-Tiger Coiling Dragon Blade. Lu Li began adapting the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist into a blade technique, leaving Huang Rongyue astonished by how quickly he refined it.

• Zhang Siyuan read a report about Lu Li killing General Zhang Wu and resolved to punish him.
• Huang He warned Lu Li not to neglect his fundamentals, while Huang Rongyue offered to find him a blade technique.
• Lu Li said he wanted to use a blade in place of his fists and tried performing the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist with the blade.
• Lu Li adapted punches into chops and slashes, then refined the movements into a smooth and powerful blade technique.
• Huang Rongyue watched in amazement as Lu Li's second round of practice improved dramatically.

Lu Li strengthened his martial arts while the county magistrate’s forces and the Rebel Army trapped the families inside the city. Huang He revealed a plan to assassinate the commander and flee, leaving Lu Li to wait for the assassins’ return before joining the retreat.

• Lu Li told Huang Rongyue that he had adapted the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist into a sword technique and kept his Blood Ghost identity secret.
• Huang Rongyue struggled to understand Lu Li’s explanation, then left feeling she could not keep up with him.
• Over several days, Lu Li advanced his Metal-Stone Body to Rock Body and brought his Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist close to a breakthrough.
• Lu Li learned that experts were searching the city, the Rebel Army had sealed North City, and family heads suspected the county magistrate of arranging assassinations.
• Huang He told Lu Li that the families planned to kill the commander, open the gates, and flee, and said Lu Li should leave after the assassins returned.

Master Yang’s assassination attempt against Commander Sun failed after Master Ma betrayed the group, leaving the Martial Masters Alliance surrounded. Alliance Leader Zhao revealed he had reached the Blood-Exchange Realm as the standoff threatened to turn into a fight.

• Master Yang and ten Tendon-Refining martial artists attacked Commander Sun’s tent, but found only a pillow and were surrounded by soldiers.
• Commander Sun said a bribed family head had exposed the plan, and Master Ma left Master Yang’s group to join him.
• A mysterious figure defeated Master Yang in a single blow, and the captured group was marched back to the Martial Masters Alliance’s camp.
• Alliance Leader Zhao, Huang He, Lu Li, and Huang Rongyue saw the captives arrive with Commander Sun and the fawning Master Ma.
• Commander Sun urged Alliance Leader Zhao to surrender, but Zhao refused and revealed that he was in the Blood-Exchange Realm.

Alliance Leader Zhao led the clans toward the city gate after killing Commander Sun, but County Magistrate Zhang Siyuan blocked their escape. Zhang revealed that he had reached the Inner-Qi Realm, leaving Alliance Leader Zhao to rally the others for one last fight.

• Alliance Leader Zhao broke through the soldiers’ line, killed Commander Sun, and led the clan fighters toward the city gate.
• Lu Li and Huang Rongyue helped defend the group as they fought through heavy casualties and approached the gate.
• Alliance Leader Zhao and the others found Zhang Siyuan waiting beneath the gate, with soldiers aiming crossbows from the city wall.
• A martial arts school master charged Zhang Siyuan, but Zhang dodged his attack and killed him with ease.
• Alliance Leader Zhao realized Zhang Siyuan had reached the Inner-Qi Realm, and Zhang demanded that he submit.
• Alliance Leader Zhao urged the others to support him for one last fight before they went their separate ways.

Alliance Leader Zhao led the Martial Masters Alliance in an attempt to break through the city, while Lu Li concealed his full strength until the Rebel Army blocked the escape route. Lu Li fought a path through the enemy and killed General Zhou, while Alliance Leader Zhao remained behind to face Zhang Siyuan.

• Alliance Leader Zhao formed ten fighters into the Ten-Direction Martial Suppression Formation and led them against Zhang Siyuan as arrows and soldiers struck the others.
• Alliance Leader Zhao used an Ink Iron plate to survive Zhang Siyuan's palm strike, then opened the city gate and urged the others to escape while he held Zhang Siyuan back.
• The Rebel Army arrived outside the city, scattering the escaping Lineage disciples as they fought to survive.
• Lu Li unleashed his full strength and carved a path through the enemy, with Huang Rongyue, Huang He, and the Huang Family following behind him.
• General Zhou charged Lu Li on horseback to avenge his son Zhou Sheng, but Lu Li killed him with a single blade strike.

Lu Li used his blade and poison to break through the rebel army and lead the surviving Huang Family members to safety. Zhang Siyuan learned Lu Li had escaped into Long-Abundance Mountain and ordered assassins to capture and kill him while he went to retrieve the Martial-Suppressing Formation.

• Lu Li killed General Zhou, cut through the rebel soldiers, and used poison to stop the survivors from pursuing him.
• Lu Li led Huang He, Huang Rongyue, and the remaining Huang Family members away from the battlefield and urged them to enter the mountains.
• Huang He ordered the family to follow Lu Li’s instructions as they headed into the mountains to evade pursuit.
• Zhang Siyuan learned that Lu Li had killed General Zhou with the treasured blade and caused nearly half of the army’s casualties.
• Zhang Siyuan ordered You Feng, You Lei, and You Huo to capture and kill Lu Li, then left to retrieve the Martial-Suppressing Formation.

Lu Li and the Huang Family were ambushed by You Bing’s brothers, who mistook Lu Li for Blood Ghost. After Li Qing shielded Lu Li from an explosive iron pellet, Lu Li killed You Huo and turned on You Lei.

• Lu Li noticed three men in black surrounding the group and learned they were You Bing’s brothers, seeking revenge for his death.
• You Huo recognized Lu Li’s fighting style and accused him of being Blood Ghost, prompting You Lei to join the attack on Lu Li.
• Lu Li fought You Huo and You Lei, whose attacks were disrupted by the Five-Tiger Coiling Dragon Blade’s killing aura.
• You Huo restrained Lu Li while You Lei prepared an explosive iron pellet, but Li Qing appeared and took the blast for Lu Li.
• Lu Li broke free and killed You Huo with a single slash, then faced You Lei amid the scorched ground.

Lu Li killed You Lei and You Feng, then stayed with the dying Li Qing, who revealed why he had resented him and asked him to protect Du Ying and Shen Fei. With Huang Rongyue gravely wounded, Lu Li led the survivors to Hu Niu's cave to find more medicine, where Hu Niu greeted him.

• Lu Li killed You Lei and You Feng, ending the fight and saving the Huang Family survivors.
• Li Qing confessed his envy and resentment toward Lu Li, then died after asking him to protect Du Ying and Shen Fei on the way to the prefectural city.
• Lu Li used his medicine to stop Huang Rongyue's bleeding but decided she still needed care at Hu Niu's cave.
• Huang He agreed to follow Lu Li despite the risk of the county magistrate catching up with them.
• Hu Niu bounded out of her cave at Lu Li's scent, frightening the others until Lu Li reassured them and stroked her head.

Lu Li treated Huang Rongyue and gained the Cloud-Turning Wolf as an ally while preparing to break through to the Inner-Qi Realm. After Zhang Siyuan set out to confront Blood Ghost, Lu Li successfully broke through.

• Hu Niu revealed that the Cloud-Turning Wolf was willing to follow Lu Li, who agreed to assess it before removing its Gu worm.
• Lu Li treated Huang Rongyue's wounds with Hu Niu's medicinal herbs and told Huang He that she was out of danger.
• Zhang Siyuan learned that You Huo and his two sworn brothers had died, blamed himself, and went to confront Blood Ghost.
• Lu Li cultivated until he was fifty points from a breakthrough, then swallowed a pill.
• Energy spread from Lu Li's dantian through his body, and he reached the Inner-Qi Realm.

After reaching the Inner-Qi Realm, Lu Li tested his new strength and then confronted Zhang Siyuan, who had come to settle matters with Blood Ghost. Zhang Siyuan’s secret technique turned the fight against Lu Li, and Hu Niu and the Cloud-Turning Wolf joined the battle as the chapter ended with their grudges set to be settled.

• Lu Li broke through to the Inner-Qi Realm and blasted a large cave into a cliff with a strike.
• Lu Li realized his current martial art could not be upgraded further and hoped the young lady could help him enter the Broken Mountain Sect.
• Zhang Siyuan arrived demanding that Blood Ghost come out, and Lu Li attacked him with the Five-Tiger Coiling Dragon Blade.
• Lu Li and Zhang Siyuan fought evenly at first, but Lu Li gradually suppressed him and turned the blade’s killing intent to his advantage.
• Zhang Siyuan activated a secret technique and gained the upper hand, forcing Lu Li to retreat.
• Hu Niu and the Cloud-Turning Wolf joined the fight, and Zhang Siyuan recognized Hu Niu as the one who had taken the medicinal herbs.

Zhang Siyuan unleashed overwhelming power against Lu Li, but Huang He pushed his body past its limits to intervene and help turn the battle. Huang He was left barely alive after wounding Zhang Siyuan, and Lu Li launched another attack as the fight continued.

• Zhang Siyuan used a secret technique to overpower Lu Li and knock Hu Niu and the Cloud-Turning Wolf aside.
• Huang He chose to protect Lu Li, activated his own secret technique, and charged Zhang Siyuan despite the damage it inflicted on his body.
• Huang He and Lu Li attacked Zhang Siyuan from multiple directions, while Hu Niu's green energy weakened Zhang Siyuan's golden aura.
• Huang He sacrificed his body to break through Zhang Siyuan's defenses, injuring him before Zhang Siyuan tore him away and hurled him into the ground.
• Lu Li rushed at the injured Zhang Siyuan and brought his blade down toward his head.

Lu Li fought Zhang Siyuan while poison weakened the older man, but Zhang Siyuan used his secret technique to regain his strength and force a brutal exchange of sword and fist techniques. Both were badly injured, and Zhang Siyuan escaped as Lu Li's body gave out.

• Lu Li kept pressing Zhang Siyuan as the Heartless Gut-Severing Powder took effect, leaving Zhang Siyuan unsteady and struggling to defend himself.
• Zhang Siyuan activated the third layer of his secret technique, restoring his strength and vowing to kill Lu Li.
• Lu Li caught Zhang Siyuan's sword with his stone-like palm and wrenched it away, prompting Zhang Siyuan to switch to fist techniques.
• Lu Li and Zhang Siyuan traded powerful punches until both were bloodied and Zhang Siyuan's poison weakened him again.
• Zhang Siyuan used Lu Li's punch to retreat, while Lu Li's legs weakened and nearly gave way as he tried to pursue.