Chapter Summaries

Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji encountered Nian Laoda and Wild Dog Daoist in the Ancient Cave, where Luo Yunji stopped Zhang Xiaofan from killing Wild Dog. Luo Yunji led the group through a formation toward the Heartless Sea, with the Blood Refining Hall members too afraid of Zhang Xiaofan to leave.

• Zhang Xiaofan recognized Wild Dog Daoist and nearly kicked him, but Luo Yunji asked him not to hurt Big Dog, so Zhang Xiaofan held back.
• Nian Laoda and the Blood Refining Hall members backed down when they recognized Zhang Xiaofan, and Luo Yunji ran over to pet the injured Wild Dog Daoist.
• Luo Yunji asked Zhang Xiaofan to go to the Heartless Sea and brought Wild Dog along, while Zhang Xiaofan ordered two Blood Refining Hall members to help him.
• The group passed through a formation to the Death Spirit Abyss, where the Blood Refining Hall members noticed the damaged stone stele and grew more afraid of Zhang Xiaofan.
• Luo Yunji gave Wild Dog a candy ball that helped him feel better, then took him along to play.

Zhang Xiaofan cooked for the subdued Blood Refining Hall members while Luo Yunji played with Wild Dog Daoist, leaving the group uncertain whether they would be allowed to go. Zhang Xiaofan learned they had gathered at their old home to search for the Blood Refining Hall’s lost cultivation methods and treasure.

• Zhang Xiaofan relaxed after seeing Wild Dog Daoist behave, tidied his old cooking spot, and prepared a meal while the Blood Refining Hall members watched in disbelief.
• Luo Yunji returned for the food and gave Wild Dog Daoist a meat-covered bone, prompting Wild Dog to protest that he was human, not a dog.
• Nian Laoda approached Zhang Xiaofan and cautiously asked whether the Blood Refining Hall members could help, but Zhang Xiaofan told him there was no need.
• Zhang Xiaofan asked Qi Hao and the others how to deal with the group, then asked Nian Laoda why they had gathered there and whether they sought the Blood Refining Hall’s lost cultivation methods and treasure.

Zhang Xiaofan let Nian Laoda and the Blood Refining Hall search the sealed place for five days while secretly protecting the Heavenly Book in Blooddrop Cave. As the group waited, Qi Hao learned how powerful Big Bamboo Peak’s special clothes were and wanted a set of his own.

• Zhang Xiaofan let Nian Laoda and the Blood Refining Hall search the place, promising to take only one item if they found treasure.
• Zhang Xiaofan asked Qi Hao whether they should kill the Blood Refining Hall members, and Qi Hao said they should avoid taking unnecessary lives.
• Zhang Xiaofan gave Nian Laoda’s group five days to search, then secretly took Little Fatty to Blooddrop Cave and sealed its entrance with a formation.
• Qi Hao noticed the disciples’ clothes could resist water, fire, and divine weapons, and Zeng Shushu explained that their rare materials were hard to obtain.
• Zeng Shushu teased Qi Hao about the clothes and Big Bamboo Peak’s magical treasures, and the two splashed each other in the pool.

Zhang Xiaofan told Nian Laoda that the Death Spirit Abyss held something and explained its dangers, then discussed ways to descend with Qi Hao, Lu Xueqi, and Zeng Shushu. The group was considering a descent when the uneasy Wild Dog Daoist approached to ask if they could reach the bottom.

• Zeng Shushu recalled his father's warning about Big Bamboo Peak's magical treasures and discussed the dangers of the Death Spirit Abyss with Qi Hao.
• Zhang Xiaofan told Nian Laoda that something lay at the abyss's bottom and warned him about the darkness and swarms of yin spirits.
• Zhang Xiaofan told Nian Laoda to tell the hidden woman that he would not hold her escape from the Imperial City prison against her.
• Zhang Xiaofan explained two ways to descend: protect themselves with their magical treasures or cover themselves in Mysterious Gauze.
• Wild Dog Daoist approached Zhang Xiaofan uneasily and asked whether they could reach the bottom of the abyss.

Zhang Xiaofan explained his decision to lure the Blood Refining Hall members toward Death Spirit Abyss, while Qi Hao worried that his strategy was too ruthless. The descent left only a dozen or so members alive, and Luo Yunji happily gathered the useful Yin Spirits as Zhang Xiaofan considered bringing some back to Big Bamboo Peak.

• Wild Dog Daoist reacted to Zhang Xiaofan with terror and fled, prompting Qi Hao to suspect Zhang Xiaofan had deliberately influenced the Demon Sect members.
• Qi Hao confronted Zhang Xiaofan, who explained that he had warned Nian Laoda and the others about the danger and left the choice to them.
• Zhang Xiaofan reflected on the threats facing his brothers and the careful efforts to prepare Tian Buyi and build ties with other Azure Cloud Sect leaders.
• Zhang Xiaofan told Qi Hao that he had acted to spare Luo Yunji from seeing blood, and Qi Hao realized he had done it for his junior brother.
• Only a dozen or so Blood Refining Hall members returned from Death Spirit Abyss, while Luo Yunji happily collected Yin Spirits and Zhang Xiaofan explained their benefits to Lu Xueqi.

Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji gathered crystals from Death Spirit Abyss and rescued people trapped below while their companions struggled with the darkness. The group recovered at the cliff, where Zhang Xiaofan revealed that his Second Senior Brother had once cultivated in the abyss alone.

• Luo Yunji gave most of the crystals to Zhang Xiaofan for safekeeping and showed Wild Dog Daoist how to use one.
• Luo Yunji jumped into Death Spirit Abyss to retrieve more crystals and people, and Zhang Xiaofan followed to bring him back.
• Zhang Xiaofan and Zeng Shushu descended to rescue more followers, but Zeng Shushu returned without anyone because the darkness frightened him.
• Qi Hao went down with Zhang Xiaofan and returned carrying one person, shaken by the abyss's darkness.
• Zhang Xiaofan told Qi Hao and Zeng Shushu that his Second Senior Brother had cultivated alone in Death Spirit Abyss.

Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji entered Blooddrop Cave and found a green-clad girl who had slipped inside through a crack while searching for Blackheart Elder’s treasures. Zhang Xiaofan forced her to leave through the crack, and she recognized him as Zhang Xiaofan, Big Bamboo Peak’s seventh disciple.

• Zhang Xiaofan carried the others back from Death Spirit Abyss while Luo Yunji joined him on another trip to collect crystals.
• Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji entered Blooddrop Cave and encountered a green-clad girl who had come in through a crack.
• The girl asked about Blackheart Elder’s treasures, but Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji told her there were none.
• Zhang Xiaofan refused to let the girl follow them out through the cave entrance and threatened her until she agreed to return through the crack.
• The girl asked Zhang Xiaofan’s name, and Luo Yunji’s answer led her to identify him as Big Bamboo Peak’s seventh disciple.

Zhang Xiaofan sealed the passage to the Blooddrop Cave after encountering the Green-Clothed Girl and Aunt You, then returned to the others and discovered Faxiang’s group had left. After Qi Hao and the others departed, Zhang Xiaofan took Nian Laoda and Wild Dog Daoist into Death Spirit Abyss to search for treasure, leaving them desperate to return.

• The Green-Clothed Girl recognized Zhang Xiaofan, and he sealed the crack behind her before leaving with Luo Yunji.
• Aunt You warned the Green-Clothed Girl that Zhang Xiaofan was more dangerous than she imagined and connected Big Bamboo Peak to the Ghost King’s injury.
• Zhang Xiaofan returned to the cliff, told the others about the encounter, and reminded Qi Hao that Faxiang and his companions had gone missing.
• Lu Xueqi confirmed Faxiang’s group had left, and Qi Hao, Zeng Shushu, and Lu Xueqi went back while Zhang Xiaofan stayed to make the Blood Refining Hall abandon its search for the treasure.
• Zhang Xiaofan took Nian Laoda and Wild Dog Daoist into Death Spirit Abyss, but the monsters and spirits forced the two men to beg him to take them back.

Zhang Xiaofan took the Green-Clothed Girl and Aunt You into the Blooddrop Cave, where they opened a hidden passage by fitting the giant axe into Tiansha Mingwang’s statue. The cave collapsed around them, but Luo Yunji rescued the two women, and the group emerged on Kongsang Mountain before Zhang Xiaofan began cooking.

• Zhang Xiaofan showed Nian Laoda and Wild Dog Daoist how to pass through the Ancient Cave’s formation, then prepared to leave with Luo Yunji.
• The Green-Clothed Girl offered to reveal a possible secret chamber in the Blooddrop Cave, and Zhang Xiaofan agreed to take her and Aunt You there.
• The girl identified the missing Heaven-Opening Axe in Tiansha Mingwang’s statue, and Zhang Xiaofan fitted the giant axe into its hand, opening a passage.
• The chamber began collapsing, and Luo Yunji turned back to carry the Green-Clothed Girl and Aunt You to safety while Zhang Xiaofan helped them escape.
• The group reached a concealed opening on Kongsang Mountain, where Zhang Xiaofan hunted and cooked as the girl questioned his use of medicinal herbs.

Zhang Xiaofan, Luo Yunji, Aunt You, and the Green-Clothed Girl camp in the wilderness, where Zhang Xiaofan’s plentiful food and unusual preparations surprise the women. The Green-Clothed Girl tries to charm Luo Yunji into sharing his food, but he remains unimpressed and keeps eating.

• Zhang Xiaofan cooked a meal with medicinal herbs, and Aunt You and the Green-Clothed Girl eagerly ate after seeing Luo Yunji enjoy it.
• Zhang Xiaofan spread out a quilt for Luo Yunji, while the Green-Clothed Girl discovered that his Bamboo Bag was packed with food instead of another quilt.
• The Green-Clothed Girl woke to find Zhang Xiaofan practicing and congee cooking, then watched him bring Luo Yunji an oil-paper package of food.
• The Green-Clothed Girl asked Luo Yunji to share his food, but he refused and bluntly said she was not pretty while her face was dusty.
• Zhang Xiaofan gave the Green-Clothed Girl water to wash with, but after she proudly asked whether she was pretty, Luo Yunji chose to keep eating.

Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji parted from Bi Yao and Aunt You after rescuing them, while Luo Yunji voiced his cynical view of the righteous and demonic paths. The Ghost King learned of the encounter and concluded that Zhang Xiaofan and his fellow disciples would become powerful enough to dominate their era.

• Luo Yunji confused the Green-Clothed Girl by explaining that he already had many people to share his life with, and she apologized for arguing with him.
• Zhang Xiaofan said goodbye to Bi Yao and Aunt You, rejected her offer to bring him to her father, and declared that their paths differed.
• Luo Yunji argued that people of both paths could commit evil when their desires and incentives led them to do so, and Zhang Xiaofan hurriedly took him away on the Fire Poker.
• The Ghost King arrived and learned that Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji had rescued Bi Yao and cooked for her; Bi Yao realized she had not even told them her name.
• Aunt You reported what Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji had said, and the Ghost King decided the Holy Sect must not expose their affairs and predicted that they would eventually surpass every generation.

Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji lost their way, took shelter from a storm, and continued north until they encountered the Ghost King at a roadside teahouse. Zhang Xiaofan entered the teahouse and handed the Ghost King his Fire Poker to examine.

• The Ghost King recalled the Wildlands battle and told Aunt You he was determined to recruit the peerless talents into the Ghost King Sect.
• Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji lost their way, found a hollow in a cliff for shelter, and waited out a night of heavy rain.
• After the rain stopped, Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji found the main road and headed north, with Zhang Xiaofan carrying the tired Luo Yunji.
• At a roadside teahouse, Zhang Xiaofan recognized the Ghost King and initially tried to flee, while Luo Yunji pointed him out without fear.
• Zhang Xiaofan entered the teahouse and handed the Ghost King his Fire Poker when asked to show his magical treasure.

The Ghost King examined Zhang Xiaofan’s Fire Poker, identified its origins as the Bloodthirsty Orb and Soul Eater, and invited Zhang Xiaofan to join the Ghost King Sect after hearing his views on good and evil. Zhang Xiaofan hesitated rather than refusing outright, leaving the invitation open.

• The Ghost King recognized the Fire Poker as a blood-refined weapon containing the Bloodthirsty Orb and Soul Eater, and Zhang Xiaofan explained that He Dazhi had taught him about its origins.
• Zhang Xiaofan said magical treasures had no inherent good or evil, echoing Tian Buyi’s teaching, and the Ghost King praised his master.
• When the Ghost King called the Fire Poker supremely evil, Zhang Xiaofan challenged the distinction between righteous and evil, arguing that both sides killed and that a person’s heart determined whether they were good or wicked.
• The Ghost King asked whether Zhang Xiaofan’s views came from Tian Buyi, and Zhang Xiaofan glanced toward Luo Yunji as he ate a pork knuckle.
• The Ghost King invited Zhang Xiaofan to join the Ghost King Sect, and Zhang Xiaofan held back his refusal while considering He Dazhi’s plans.

Zhang Xiaofan learned that the Holy Sect had gathered on Liubo Mountain and continued east with Luo Yunji, stopping at Black Stone Cave to visit the foxes. There, he learned that Six-Tailed Fox had lost cultivation and three tails, and offered him cultivation-boosting food and wine.

• Ghost King told Zhang Xiaofan that the Holy Sect had gathered on Liubo Mountain and that Azure Cloud Sect members were heading there for a likely battle.
• Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji traveled east and arrived at Xiaochi Town, then went to Black Stone Cave to visit Six-Tailed Fox and Three-Tailed Fox.
• Luo Yunji happily greeted the foxes and took a broken fox tail from Six-Tailed Fox to wear as his own.
• Six-Tailed Fox explained that righteous-path attackers had interrupted his treatment, leaving his cultivation damaged and costing him three tails.
• Zhang Xiaofan offered Six-Tailed Fox food and wine that could increase cultivation, quietly repaying him for keeping Luo Yunji happy.

Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji learned the true legend of the Wishing Well and discovered that Xiaochi Town had posted a reward for the Three-Tailed Fox Demon. After an old fortune-teller warned Zhang Xiaofan of danger, he reunited with a little girl he had met in Heyang City, while the old man suddenly struggled to breathe.

• Three-Tailed Fox explained that the Wishing Well showed lovers the person they loved on the night of the full moon, and Luo Yunji said Zhang Xiaofan was the person he most wanted to be with because his cooking was best.
• Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji found Xiaochi Town's shops closed and followed residents to a notice offering five hundred taels to anyone who would defeat the Three-Tailed Fox Demon.
• Zhang Xiaofan pulled Luo Yunji away from the crowd after noticing cultivators, and a huge man tore down the notice before the brick wall suddenly vanished in a blast.
• An old fortune-teller blocked Zhang Xiaofan and warned that death clung to him, then a little girl recognized him as the big brother who had once given her a candied hawthorn in Heyang City.
• Zhang Xiaofan remembered the girl, who explained that the fortune-teller was her grandfather, but the old man suddenly gasped and could not speak as she rushed to support him.

Zhang Xiaofan took Luo Yunji and a little girl to the Wishing Well, where they were joined by Bi Yao and the old fortune-teller. The group waited to make wishes beneath the full moon, while Zhang Xiaofan stayed quiet about the well’s lack of power and noticed Three-Tailed Fox nearby.

• Zhang Xiaofan bought Candied Hawthorn for the little girl and took her and Luo Yunji to see the Wishing Well.
• The old man heard about the well and urged everyone to make their wishes soon, then led them toward the woods.
• Bi Yao appeared, accused the old man of swindling her, and nearly attacked him with the Heartbreak Flower before Zhang Xiaofan stopped her.
• Bi Yao joined the group, while Luo Yunji shared his snacks with the little girl and they ate them all.
• The group gathered at the well and agreed to wait until the full moon’s reflection appeared in it.
• Zhang Xiaofan noticed mist around his feet and realized Three-Tailed Fox was hiding behind the tree near him.

Three-Tailed Fox used mist and a flute to frighten Bi Yao and the others near the ancient well, while Zhang Xiaofan led his companions toward Black Stone Cave. Bi Yao and Stone followed them inside, where a White-Clad Yin Spirit blocked Bi Yao’s way.

• Three-Tailed Fox created an eerie mist and played a flute, sending the old man, Bi Yao, and the little girl into dreams while Little Fatty remained unaffected.
• Stone arrived at the ancient well and insisted on pursuing the fox demon, so Three-Tailed Fox slipped away after Zhang Xiaofan told her to return first.
• Zhang Xiaofan took Little Fatty toward Black Stone Cave, and Bi Yao, Stone, the old man, and his granddaughter followed them into the forest.
• Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji entered Black Stone Cave while the five Yin Spirits kept watch inside.
• Bi Yao entered the cave and was stopped by a silent White-Clad Yin Spirit; Stone arrived just behind her.

Bi Yao and Stone encountered Three-Tailed Fox in Black Stone Cave and demanded to know what had happened to the people who entered before them. Three-Tailed Fox had no intention of fighting, but Bi Yao prepared to attack as the fox spirit’s Yin Spirits shielded her.

• Stone rushed up to Bi Yao outside the cave and asked whether she had seen what happened to the fox demon and the two people who came earlier.
• An old man and his granddaughter hesitated at the cave entrance before a proud young man and woman arrived, asked about the fox demon, and went inside.
• Bi Yao and Stone entered the cave, where a White-Clad Figure appeared and absorbed Bi Yao’s Heartbreak Flower attack without harm.
• Three more White-Clad Figures appeared, then Three-Tailed Fox approached and accused righteous cultivators of hunting monsters for fame and fortune.
• Bi Yao demanded that Three-Tailed Fox hand over the two earlier visitors, and the fox spirit’s Yin Spirits moved in front of her to protect her.

Bi Yao and Stone searched the cave for Zhang Xiaofan and Luo Yunji while Zhang Xiaofan stayed with the fox demons at the Magma Lake. The chapter ended with Li Xun demanding to know whether Luo Yunji had seen a jade ring that the fox demons supposedly carried.

• Bi Yao attacked Three-Tailed Fox, then pursued the White-Clad Figures into the darkness with Stone while Three-Tailed Fox sent a Giant Black Leech to stop them.
• Three-Tailed Fox told Zhang Xiaofan and Six-Tailed Fox what had happened, but Zhang Xiaofan remained unconcerned and explained how he would conceal their connection to the fox demons.
• Bi Yao struggled past the Giant Black Leech and found Zhang Xiaofan by the Magma Lake, then spotted Luo Yunji safe and playing with a fox tail.
• Li Xun and Yan Hong arrived, and Zhang Xiaofan said he had knocked the fox demons into the Magma Lake.
• Li Xun asked whether Zhang Xiaofan had seen a jade ring, then angrily turned to Luo Yunji when Zhang Xiaofan shook his head.

Zhang Xiaofan protected Little Fatty from Li Xun and led him and their companions out of Black Stone Cave. On the way, Zhang Xiaofan learned that the old man had saved Luo Yunji through a divination, though the old man would not reveal the child’s present identity.

• Zhang Xiaofan seized Li Xun by the throat for disrespecting Little Fatty, then released him and led Little Fatty away.
• Zhang Xiaofan used Soaring Crane to carry Bi Yao and Stone out of Black Stone Cave, while Little Fatty flew after them.
• Zhang Xiaofan escorted Bi Yao, Stone, Little Fatty, the old man, and the little girl from the cave and shared candied hawthorn with the girl.
• Zhang Xiaofan asked the old man about Luo Yunji after noticing him watching the child closely.
• The old man confirmed that Luo Yunji’s identity and affliction could not be spoken of, and Zhang Xiaofan thanked him for saving his Little Junior Brother.