Recaps

Yu discussed using the Sea Merchant Guild’s auction to recruit people connected to the Shangqing Sect and revealed that Jiu Yan had offered the Four Spirits Dharma Aspect in exchange for her talisman. Jiu Yan arrived at the Sea Sky Platform, where the group was about to meet him and assess his motives.

• Yu explained that the auction could help Siding Institute find scattered Shangqing disciples or cultivators who knew the sect’s techniques.
• Daoist Huifeng cautioned that recruits drawn by the sect’s inheritance might prove unreliable, and Yu outlined less ideal candidates they could seek instead.
• Yu revealed that a man calling himself Jiu Yan had contacted her to privately negotiate for the Grand Profound Yin Birth Talisman, offering the Ten Manifestations of Fiendish Energy Technique and news of the Four Spirits Dharma Aspect.
• Daoist Huifeng recognized the Four Spirits Dharma Aspect’s potential, and Yu said Jiu Yan was already in Wu Gou City and had been invited to the Sea Sky Platform.
• Jiu Yan walked up to Yu, Daoist Huifeng, and Zhang Miaolin, bowed with cupped fists, and introduced himself.

Daoist Huifeng, Wingless, and Zhang Miaolin met Jiu Yan to discuss exchanging spirit talismans for his techniques and treasures, while Huifeng remained wary of Jiu Yan’s mysterious aura. Their negotiations were interrupted when Ji Yuan recognized Jiu Yan as his master, and the mention of Fairy Zhan Shuicheng’s attendant brought the pavilion to a sudden silence.

• Wingless introduced Jiu Yan to Huifeng and Zhang Miaolin, and Zhang Miaolin warmed the meeting by discussing talisman arts with him.
• Huifeng asked about Jiu Yan’s past, and Jiu Yan said the Wu Tuo City calamity had torn apart his soul and that he had come south to recover and fulfill an old appointment.
• Jiu Yan offered the Ten Manifestations of Fiendish Energy Technique in exchange for spirit talismans and said he could offer other treasures, including the Four Spirits Dharma Aspect, for higher-quality talismans.
• Ji Yuan stopped outside the pavilion, recognized Jiu Yan as his master, and introduced himself as a disciple of the Feiyu Sect.
• When Jiu Yan did not remember him, Ji Yuan mentioned meeting him with Zi Qu, Fairy Zhan Shuicheng’s attendant, and everyone fell silent.

Ji Yuan recognized Jiu Yan and invited him to meet, then tried to learn more about him and adjust his plans for getting help with his sect’s troubles. As Ji Yuan returned to his pavilion, True Man Nanhai appeared with a young girl and startled everyone.

• Ji Yuan recognized Jiu Yan from Fengdu City, invited him to meet, and hurried away after arranging a time and place.
• Ji Yuan told Brother Wu that Jiu Yan could speak freely with Palace Mistress Zhan and urged him to help secure Jiu Yan’s friendship.
• Brother Wu and Ni discussed asking True Man Hai to approach Master “Little Lu,” while Ji Yuan worried that doing so could create a costly obligation or conflict.
• Ji Yuan sent attendants to investigate Jiu Yan’s background and keep watch on him without causing offense.
• True Man Nanhai appeared at the pavilion holding a young girl, startling Ji Yuan, Brother Wu, and Ni.

Ghost Yan met Ji Yuan and the Canghai Hunter Group in Wu Gou City, where Hai Hong welcomed him into the society and revealed that a substantial bounty had been placed on Jiu Yan. Little Wu was stunned by the news as the group prepared to discuss the danger facing the perfume master.

• True Man Nanhu, who was Ghost Yan, arrived with Little Wu and made Ji Yuan and the Canghai Hunter Group’s Wu and Ni uneasy with his presence.
• Ghost Yan asked Ji Yuan about Jiu Yan, the perfume master, and Ji Yuan apologized for failing to recognize him in the adjacent pavilion.
• Hai Hong arrived, apologized to Ghost Yan for failing to rescue him during the East Sea crisis, and told Ji Yuan he would handle the matter of Master Lu.
• After Ji Yuan left, Hai Hong welcomed Ghost Yan into the society and revealed that a substantial bounty had been placed on Jiu Yan’s life.
• Little Wu looked up from her pastry and stared in shock at Hai Hong’s revelation.

Jiu Yan secured an agreement with Daoist Huifeng while pursuing his own cultivation and reassuring Wu Yu. After Guiyan discovered a bounty targeting Jiu Yan in the Four Seas Society, he also found a contrasting notice seeking to recruit him.

• Jiu Yan agreed to exchange the Four Spirits Dharma Aspect mental method with Daoist Huifeng and left Sea Sky Platform with Wu Yu and the others.
• Jiu Yan reflected on his plans to strengthen his true body and felt murderous toward whoever had placed him on a wanted list.
• Hai Hong praised Jiu Yan’s ability to conceal his aura and asked Guiyan whether he would take the job of killing him.
• Guiyan remembered Mr. Wugou’s bronze token and used it to inspect the Four Seas Society’s notices.
• Guiyan found a bounty offering a Sixteen Heavens refining artifact for Jiu Yan’s death before spring and before he left Wu Gou City.
• Guiyan saw another notice offering to recruit Jiu Yan, with a negotiable reward, and laughed at the contradiction.

Gu Yan heard Hai Hong explain the Four Seas Society’s plan to exploit the coming Seagull Market trade route and Half-Mountain Island’s weakness. As Yu Ci, disguised as Jiu Yan, listened to the assessment of Ye Bin’s peril, he noticed someone following him and challenged them.

• Gu Yan asked Hai Hong about the unusual person behind the merit messages, and Hai Hong instead asked what Gu Yan planned to do during the coming tribulation.
• Gu Yan told Hai Hong he would go wherever he pleased, so Hai Hong described the opportunity for rogue cultivators to seize territory from weakened sects.
• Hai Hong showed Gu Yan a map of the Seagull Market route and explained how the Four Seas Society could benefit from disorder in the surrounding outer-ring region.
• Hai Hong assessed Half-Mountain Island’s lack of manpower, Ye Bin’s worsening situation, and the risks surrounding the Mirage Tower’s opening.
• Yu Ci, posing as Jiu Yan, listened to Hai Hong’s remarks through Gu Yan’s information and recalled his past connection with Ye Bin in Sky Rift Valley.
• Yu Ci stopped by the coast, sensed that someone was tailing him, and called out to the pursuer.

Jiu Yan killed two Four Seas Society cultivators who attacked him, while Ji Er witnessed the slaughter. Hai Hong investigated the deaths and concluded that the Society’s conflict with Jiu Yan could no longer be reconciled.

• Jiu Yan’s Killing Intent python swallowed Ji Er’s view of the battle as it killed the Void Stepping Sword Cultivator Tan Feng and subdued Zhao Yong.
• Jiu Yan killed Tan Feng and left Zhao Yong dead, then killed Ji Er as he tried to identify himself as Ji Yuan’s servant.
• Hai Hong arrived with his men and found the bodies of Tan Feng and Zhao Yong on the mudflats.
• Hai Hong ordered Wu and Ni to gather intelligence on Jiu Yan and add the killings to the Society’s records, while deciding to leave Ji Yuan alone for now.
• Hai Hong concluded that Tan Feng had likely revealed the Society’s secrets under torture and that the internal dispute had ended with no chance of reconciliation.

Ji Yuan sought Jiu Yan’s help after the Great Tribulation tainted a valuable crop of spices that Feiyu Sect was responsible for. Jiu Yan learned that True Man Duanmu and his Azure Emperor’s Treasure Garden could gather the plants, but Ji Yuan needed Jiu Yan to extract and refine them.

• Ji Yuan went to Jiu Yan’s inn despite Peng Suo warning him to keep his distance from troublemakers.
• Ji Yuan invited Jiu Yan to a banquet, but Jiu Yan told him to speak plainly.
• Ji Yuan explained that the Great Tribulation had tainted spice plants entrusted to Feiyu Sect, threatening a three-hundred-year relationship and his standing in the sect.
• Jiu Yan said he could help with extraction and refining but was not suited to gathering the plants.
• Ji Yuan said True Man Duanmu’s Azure Emperor’s Treasure Garden could gather them, leaving Jiu Yan responsible for processing the spices.

Ji Yuan sought Duanmu Senqiu’s help and agreed to arrange a meeting between him and Jiu Yan, then used intelligence about Jiu Yan’s past connection to the Yinan Troupe to plan a visit to Ming Jian Tower. Two days later, he escorted Jiu Yan through Wu Gou City’s worsening congestion and arrived at the tower.

• Ji Yuan visited Duanmu Senqiu, who asked to meet Jiu Yan before any arrangements proceeded, and Ji Yuan agreed to host them together.
• Ji Yuan learned that the Yinan Troupe had supplied intelligence about Jiu Yan and ordered his men to secure seats at Ming Jian Tower and prepare spices.
• Ji Yuan decided to meet Flower Lady, the Yinan Troupe’s head, to verify the intelligence about Jiu Yan.
• After two days, Ji Yuan rode with Jiu Yan through crowded Wu Gou City, where travel had become severely delayed.
• Ji Yuan announced their arrival at Ming Jian Tower and invited Jiu Yan inside.

Ji Yuan brought Jiu Yan to Ming Jian Tower with Duanmu Senqiu and Zhu Baitu to watch Lu Erniang’s City-Toppling Dance, while probing Jiu Yan through their conversation. The group discussed turmoil in the north before Duanmu Senqiu poured Immortal Vine Sap and urged them to drink, fixing his attention on Jiu Yan.

• Ji Yuan and Jiu Yan arrived at Ming Jian Tower, where they met Duanmu Senqiu and Zhu Baitu.
• Zhu Baitu introduced the upcoming dance by Lu Erniang, and Ji Yuan steered the conversation toward Jiu Yan’s past in Huayan City and Yinan Garden.
• The four men took seats overlooking the dance platform and discussed the northern lands, where unstable strata threatened to sink into lakes and seas and residents were preparing to migrate north.
• Duanmu Senqiu replaced the tower’s wine with Immortal Vine Sap and invited everyone to drink, watching Jiu Yan as he raised his cup.

At Ming Jian Tower, Lu Pu and Bai Zi Hu competed for recognition as perfumers while Jiu Yan stayed out of their dispute. Chen Longchuan’s brief remarks overshadowed their rivalry, and the chapter ended as the lights dimmed for the next dance.

• Two guests praised Lu Pu’s Hundred Thoughts Incense and mocked perfumers who relied on unconventional methods, prompting Hai Hong to suspect a plot against Jiu Yan and Lu Pu.
• Bai Zi Hu introduced himself as the maker of the Wandering Immortal Incense and challenged Lu Pu to exchange pointers.
• Yu Ci chose not to join the contest, while Chen Longchuan’s cough drew the attention of the assembled guests.
• Chen Longchuan drank fiery liquor to stop coughing, then joked that Lu Erniang should make her appearance next.
• Lu Pu and Bai Zi Hu were left awkward as Chen Longchuan’s words eclipsed their rivalry, and the lights dimmed as dark clouds formed above the stage.

Lu Erniang’s dance filled the pavilion with the terror of the heavenly tribulation, until Chen Longchuan and the Sword Discussion Pavilion’s sword-cultivators broke its spell with a song. The chapter left Yu Ci and the other guests stunned as Chen Longchuan sang through tears.

• Lu Erniang’s dance drew the guests into darkness and fear by merging its intent with the heavenly tribulation.
• Yu Ci noticed Duanmu Senqiu was entranced and saw Chen Longchuan calmly drinking as he watched the dance.
• Chen Longchuan drew his sword, struck the table, and sang a line that stirred Peng Suo to rise and answer with his own verse.
• The Sword Discussion Pavilion’s sword-cultivators drew their swords and joined Peng Suo in song, disrupting the dance’s hold over the pavilion.
• Chen Longchuan continued singing until he broke down in tears, and Zhu Baitu recognized the verses as Jiaxuan’s ci.

Chen Longchuan recited Jiaxuan’s poem, gave his sword to Peng Suo, and left Ming Jian Tower. Ji Yuan brought Yu Ci and Duanmu Senqiu to a quiet courtyard, where they reunited with Flower Lady.

• Chen Longchuan recalled the history behind Jiaxuan’s poem and called out the names of the lost sword immortals before leaving its final lines unsung.
• Chen Longchuan praised Peng Suo and gave him his sword as a prize.
• After the performance, Ji Yuan invited Yu Ci and Duanmu Senqiu to a courtyard near Ming Jian Tower.
• Ji Yuan led the two men to a little tower beside the Yinan Troupe’s courtyard, where Flower Lady and her women joined them.
• Flower Lady greeted Yu Ci and asked whether he had made any new fragrances since they parted in Huayan City.

Yu Ci and his companions exchanged pleasantries with Flower Lady before Duanmu Senqiu explained the factions backing the Four Seas Society and the crisis surrounding Ye Bin. The chapter left Yu Ci uncertain whether any Sea Crossing Incense he brewed could reach Ye Bin.

• Yu Ci reunited with Flower Lady, and she and Duanmu Senqiu traded teasing remarks about their acquaintances.
• Yu Ci recounted how Jiu Yan had come to Wu Gou City, and Flower Lady called his troubles an unexpected disaster.
• Duanmu Senqiu explained that the Four Seas Society united rogue cultivators, forces connected to the Thirteen Sea Lords of the Southern Sea, and a mysterious faction allied with the Rakshasa Sect.
• Duanmu Senqiu revealed that Ye Bin had sought Sea Crossing Incense through dealings with the Rakshasa Sect to defer her tribulation, but the incense was exhausted and the factions had fallen out.
• Duanmu Senqiu warned Yu Ci that Half-Mountain Island had not welcomed him and that any incense he brewed might not reach Ye Bin.

Yu Ci considered Duanmu Senqiu’s advice to wait or leave rather than rush into danger for Half-Mountain Island, while rumors about Chen Longchuan’s fate spread across Wu Gou City. Aboard a Mountain-Moving Cloud Boat bound inland, the Ten Fiends of the East Sea appeared, followed by a tall, bald, black-skinned man.

• Duanmu Senqiu told Yu Ci that Ye Bin had gone into hiding and suggested the Rakshasa Ghost King might be destabilizing Half-Mountain Island.
• Yu Ci maintained that he would honor his agreement, but Duanmu Senqiu advised him to wait, assess the situation, and consider leaving.
• The song and dance on Ming Jian Tower spread across Wu Gou City, prompting cultivators to discuss Chen Longchuan’s possible death and the Sword Discussion Pavilion’s loss.
• The Ten Fiends of the East Sea boarded the Mountain-Moving Cloud Boat, alarming passengers who recognized them as disciples of the Jellyfish Demon Lord.
• The passengers watched as a tall, bald, black-skinned man walked up the boarding ramp.

Yu Ci boarded the Mountain-Moving Cloud Boat under the name Master Jiu Yan and settled into secluded quarters arranged by Zhu Baitu. After spending eight months refining his Inner Void, he called Steward Zhou Hu over to ask about the people living nearby.

• Yu Ci accepted Zhu Baitu’s arrangements and followed Zhou Hu to a private courtyard in the boat’s central section.
• Yu Ci recognized Zhou Hu as an old acquaintance from his time working at the Mountain-Moving Cloud Boat dock, but chose not to reveal his identity.
• Yu Ci secluded himself to study and improve Chengqitian while balancing the three voids.
• Eight months passed as Yu Ci contemplated his cultivation, and he emerged to find two maidservants entertaining a little girl near the courtyard gate.
• Yu Ci ordered tea and pastries, summoned Zhou Hu, and asked him about the nearby residents.

Yu Ci spoke with Zhou Hu about his lodging, the Mountain-Moving Cloud Boat, and Elder Zhu, then explored the ship’s upper gardens. He inadvertently approached another passenger’s courtyard and heard someone cry out to Second Niang to stop.

• Zhou Hu told Yu Ci that the courtyard had few neighbors and its defenses were linked to the boat’s main array.
• Yu Ci asked Zhou Hu about the ship’s passengers, route, and Da Tongxing’s business, learning that Elder Zhu had died.
• Yu Ci went to the upper decks and looked down on the tribulation clouds and the creatures living above them.
• Yu Ci followed a stream to a secluded hill and realized he had approached another passenger’s courtyard unnoticed.
• Yu Ci turned to leave after hearing someone speak to Younger Sister, then heard a gasp and the warning, “Second Niang, hold your hand!”

Yu Ci encountered Flower Lady and Lu Erniang in the garden after interrupting their private moment, then shared drinks with them before leaving. Flower Lady and Lu Erniang discussed Yu Ci’s unusual lack of human scent and the lingering deathly aura he carried from the Land of Eternal Damnation.

• Yu Ci saw Flower Lady across the waterfall garden, and she beckoned him over after the two exchanged glances.
• Flower Lady brought Yu Ci to the pavilion, where Lu Erniang had been interrupted while dressing after a private encounter beneath the cliff.
• Yu Ci and Lu Erniang exchanged greetings and drank together with Flower Lady, but Yu Ci soon took his leave after sensing Lu Erniang’s discomfort.
• Flower Lady told Lu Erniang that Bai Lian saw a karmic affinity in Yu Ci and described his strange lack of body heat and human scent.
• Flower Lady said Yu Ci’s body carried the lingering scent of death from the Land of Eternal Damnation.

Yu Ci’s journey stalled above Sky Horse City after Sword Discussion Pavilion detained the Mountain-Moving Cloud Boat to search for a wanted criminal. As officials and passengers prepared for a confrontation, Flower Lady and Lu Erniang arrived to visit Yu Ci.

• Lu Erniang argued with Flower Lady about choosing a cultivation path, then left without resolving their disagreement.
• Yu Ci’s Mountain-Moving Cloud Boat waited above Sky Horse City because the transit grand array had not been activated, and rumors spread about the delay.
• Zhou Hu told Yu Ci that Sword Discussion Pavilion had detained the ship to search for a wanted criminal, prompting Yu Ci to suspect Gui Yan.
• General Manager Zhu Xing informed Yu Ci that Sword Discussion Pavilion had ordered all guests at the Returning Pill realm and above to gather, while its Gathering Immortals Bridge waited nearby with a sword array deployed.
• Flower Lady arrived at Yu Ci’s door accompanied by Erniang, surprising Zhu Xing and Zhou Hu.

Yu Ci agreed to let Flower Lady and the Yinan Troupe’s women stay in his courtyards after the Sword Discussion Pavilion’s inspection order forced them to relocate. The Sword Discussion Pavilion then raised its Flag Sword Heavenly Net over the ship, but Yu Ci doubted it was aimed at Gui Yan.

• Flower Lady confronted Zhu Xing and Zhou Hu over the troupe’s relocation, arguing that three courtyards could not house nearly a hundred people safely.
• Flower Lady asked Yu Ci to shelter Lu Erniang and the other women, and Yu Ci agreed while seeking to learn what the inspection was meant to accomplish.
• Flower Lady refused Zhu Xing’s offer of another courtyard and took Lu Erniang to arrange the troupe’s move into Yu Ci’s courtyards.
• Yu Ci saw the Sword Discussion Pavilion unfurl its Flag Sword Heavenly Net and noticed a rainbow bridge connecting to the ship.
• Yu Ci judged that the formation did not seem to be targeting Gui Yan, despite his earlier suspicion that Gui Yan had caused the trouble.

Yu Ci and his companions waited under Sword Discussion Pavilion’s detention while its sword array conducted an indefinite search for suspicious sword intent. During a drinking gathering, Flower Lady and Lu Erniang steered the conversation toward Bai Niangzi, leaving Jiu Yan to ask what had happened to her.

• Sword Discussion Pavilion kept the cultivators confined and announced a search based on detecting sword intent, prompting widespread complaints.
• Yu Ci gathered with Flower Lady, Lu Erniang, Zhou Hu, and performers from Yinan Troupe to drink Da Tongxing’s Immortal’s Intoxication.
• Flower Lady and Lu Erniang teased Jiu Yan about his relations with Yao Niang and Dong Niangzi, while Zhou Hu pretended to pass out.
• Yao Niang said Lu Erniang tormented the sickly Bai Niangzi, and Flower Lady urged Jiu Yan to ask about her.
• Jiu Yan asked what was wrong with Bai Niangzi.

Yu Ci agreed to help Flower Lady and Lu Erniang make Cloud Born Incense for the gravely ill Madam Bai, though he suspected their request concealed something. After examining Madam Bai and sensing that her illness was unusual, he was interrupted by a visit from Fairy Ling Jiao of the Sword Discussion Pavilion.

• Flower Lady explained that Madam Bai’s frail constitution required Cloud Born Incense, and Lu Erniang asked Yu Ci to make it.
• Yu Ci recognized that the incense required fresh Floating Flower Dew gathered in the dangerous Azure Sky Domain, making the task difficult amid the Sword Discussion Pavilion’s blockade.
• Flower Lady said they had prepared the other materials in Rain Master City and asked Yu Ci for help because Madam Bai’s condition had worsened.
• Yu Ci agreed to help and asked to examine Madam Bai, who was bedridden in his courtyard.
• Yu Ci found that Madam Bai had orthodox Xuanmen cultivation and sensed her illness was not simple.
• Fairy Ling Jiao of the Sword Discussion Pavilion arrived to visit Yu Ci.

Ling Jiao examined Bai Niangzi and judged that her body was sound but her spirit was weak, then said she would report the matter to her martial uncles without promising to activate the sword formation. She invited Jiu Yan to bring incense-making materials and come with her to seek their decision.

• Ling Jiao examined Bai Niangzi and concluded that a soul-seizing art may have weakened her spirit and disrupted her meridians.
• Ling Jiao said she would report Bai Niangzi’s condition to her martial uncles but could not promise anything about the sword formation.
• Ling Jiao warned Flower Lady that the request to activate the formation must remain secret and explained that Sword Discussion Pavilion trusted its own efforts to identify its target.
• Yu Ci suggested revealing the formation’s purpose to help identify the target, but Ling Jiao rejected the idea and said her martial uncles preferred to catch whoever they could.
• Ling Jiao called Jiu Yan to bring incense-making materials and accompany her to ask her martial uncles for a decision.

Yu Ci passed Sword Discussion Pavilion’s inspection and left the Flag Sword Heavenly Net with Ling Jiao, who escorted him as an example for the other passengers. He gathered Floating Flower Dew and refined it into Cloud Born Incense, then felt an inexplicable stir while watching Ling Jiao.

• Ling Jiao reported to her elders, then told Yu Ci that the Demon Slaying Sword and Pure Heart Bell had not reacted to him and let him leave.
• Ling Jiao escorted Yu Ci out of the sword formation because Martial Uncle Lu wanted the others to see that he had been properly released.
• Yu Ci claimed his concealed aura came from a cultivation method that would help him cross tribulation, and Ling Jiao teased him about his explanation.
• Yu Ci found floating flowers, gathered their dew, and used his Heart Refining Dharma Fire to make seven or eight pellets of Cloud Born Incense.
• Ling Jiao praised Yu Ci’s clean work and flew downward with him, while Yu Ci felt a strange sensation as he watched her.

Yu Ci and Ling Jiao were diverted from the sword formation when a powerful force struck the tribulation clouds, and they returned to treat Madam Bai with Cloud Born Incense. The chapter left Yu Ci studying the incense’s transformation as Lu Erniang checked Madam Bai’s condition.

• Ling Jiao played around the sword formation’s banners while Yu Ci admired her swordsmanship and lively nature.
• A guide told Ling Jiao and Yu Ci to head east, and the sword formation turned away from them as the tribulation clouds southwest began to change.
• A distant force suppressed the tribulation clouds, which darkened as wind and snow spread across the sky; the Mountain-Moving Cloud Boat carried them about a hundred li east before they returned inside the formation.
• Yu Ci returned to Flower Lady and Lu Erniang with a Cloud-Born Incense Pellet and ignited it in the prepared censer.
• Flower Lady diluted the incense mist with water from a willow branch, filling the room with cloudlike vapor, while Lu Erniang checked Madam Bai and Yu Ci studied the incense’s properties.