Recaps

Liu Qingzhi fought Sun Wushang, the Illusory Water Sect’s Right Protector, until Jiang Jingnian intervened, then completed her Demon-Slaying Ritual and broke through to the Half-Step Grandmaster Realm. Jiang Jingnian destroyed a mycelial egg tied to the Stone Demon and found a Stone Demon Heart, while warning Liu Qingzhi that great changes would soon come to Peace City.

• Liu Qingzhi killed the Illusory Water Sect fiends at the Daoist temple and confronted Sun Wushang, who overwhelmed her with his Lunar Phase Martial Soul.
• Jiang Jingnian protected Liu Qingzhi from Sun Wushang’s devastating palm strike, defeated the Right Protector, and brought him back for Liu Qingzhi to kill.
• Liu Qingzhi completed the Demon-Slaying Ritual, refined her prepared Dao Radiances, and condensed Exorcising Evil Pure-Snow True Astral Force, reaching the Half-Step Grandmaster Realm.
• Jiang Jingnian descended beneath the temple, destroyed a mycelial egg that could have become a Greater Demon Wraith, and recovered a Stone Demon Heart.
• Jiang Jingnian told Liu Qingzhi that the Demon Sect had tried to recreate the Stone Demon calamity, then advised her to stabilize her strength and take people to Lin'an as great changes approached Peace City.
• Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi burned the village, its corpses, and the lingering fungal evil entities before leaving.

Jiang Jingnian uncovered the Stockade’s conspiracy, while Lu Zhishan secured Iron Ancestor’s permission to test the Mountain Cloud School’s strength. As Liu Qingzhi left for the Southern Martial Gathering, Jiang visited the Liu Family to discuss the railway and learned that Liu Zhenshan feared for her safety.

• Liu Qingzhi consolidated her breakthrough, and Jiang Jingnian discovered that the Stone Demon Heart was one of three pieces tied to the Stockade’s plans; he began purifying it with his blood and Samadhi True Fire.
• Lu Zhishan and Lu An met Iron Ancestor, who agreed to let the Lu Family test the Mountain Cloud School’s defenses in exchange for the chance to reclaim properties the sect had taken.
• Jiang Jingnian sent Liu Qingzhi and more than thirty sect members to Lin'an for the Southern Martial Gathering, urging them to preserve their strength and return alive.
• Jiang Jingnian read reports linking the damaged railway to the Liu Family, then visited Liu Li Residence to discuss the Stockade’s attacks.
• After Liu Qingzhi’s uncles dismissed Jiang’s offer to help, Liu Zhenshan stopped him and panicked when he learned Liu Qingzhi had already gone to Lin'an.

Jiang Jingnian negotiated with Liu Zhenshan over the Stockade’s repeated railway sabotage, then refined several secret treasures that strengthened his Traits. Disguised as Lotus Intent Sect guardian Xiao Yan, he entered a gathering of Demon Sect factions in the Stockade and saw Saint Son Wu arrive.

• Liu Zhenshan sensed Jiang Jingnian’s hidden strength and agreed not to interfere in Liu Qingzhi’s affairs, then told him about the Liu Family’s conflict with the Xu Family and its losses from the Stockade’s railway sabotage.
• Jiang Jingnian made a deal with Liu Zhenshan, received a warning about Zhu Yulin, and later read a secret letter reporting strange activity inside the Stockade.
• Jiang Jingnian refined secret treasures from Life Bloom Hall, strengthening his swordflame and evasion Traits and gaining a disguise ability from Mist Gu Illusion Garment.
• Jiang Jingnian disguised himself as Lotus Intent Sect guardian Xiao Yan and entered the Flower Pavilion, where he found Xue Xiuxiu, Su Wanzhi, and Demon Sect factions from across the southern provinces gathered.
• Saint Son Wu arrived with two Half-Step Grandmasters, and Jiang Jingnian recognized him as Wu Zhiming of the Five Poisons Sect and a former fellow disciple of A Hewan.

Jiang Jingnian attended a Demon Sect gathering where Li Shengyu revealed a plan to unleash the Stone Demon at Lin'an, while disputes within the Stockade and among the sects exposed how fragile their alliance was. After the factions sailed toward a nearby island Secret Realm, the Humble Tribulation Envoy questioned Jiang Jingnian’s claimed identity as Guardian Xiao Yan, leaving him at risk of exposure.

• Li Shengyu announced that the Stockade and Demon Sect factions planned to mature the Stone Demon’s vessel and unleash a calamity at Lin'an’s Southern Martial Gathering, while Jiang Jingnian watched the major factions’ reactions.
• Mistress Du and Director Fu challenged Li Shengyu’s authority, and Yu Yinfeng fought them before Wu Zhiming revealed his Grandmaster Momentum and forced the Stockade’s factions to stand down.
• Li Shengyu explained that the Stockade held both Stone Demon vessels and offered the factions profits and Secret Realm output for their cooperation; the Humble Tribulation Envoy asserted the Lotus Intent Sect’s claim to a ten-percent share.
• The gathered factions boarded boats for the island Secret Realm, while Jiang Jingnian considered how to eliminate the Stockade’s Four Ancestors and discussed the plan with the Fat Guardian.
• The Humble Tribulation Envoy asked Jiang Jingnian which Northern Lands branch he came from and said he had never heard of him, prompting Jiang Jingnian to consider whether to deny the accusation, explain himself, or strike first.

Xue Xiuxiu challenged the Humble Tribulation Envoy aboard the ship, then the Demon Sect delegation reached Little Qian Island and discovered that the Stockade was a thriving trade hub. An Eastern Wu and Southern Ocean force attacked the island, and the chapter ended as the Demon Sect and Stockade fought the invaders while Jiang Jingnian wondered where their strongest allies were.

• Xue Xiuxiu used the Lotus Candlestick to suppress the Humble Tribulation Envoy and warned the Lotus Intent Sect experts to remain loyal to her.
• Hase Hirohiko, Kuroda Masaharu, and Jasa led five disguised warships toward Little Qian Island to take revenge and punish the Stockade.
• Li Shengyu led the Demon Sect delegation through the island’s busy harbor toward the Sea-Eroded Cave, while Jiang Jingnian sensed a suspicious fragrance and noticed the Five Poisons Sect had brought only three people.
• Cannon fire struck the island, including poison shells, and Hase Hirohiko’s force advanced on the cave entrance after destroying ships and attacking the docks.
• Hase Hirohiko killed a Black Meteor Sect elder with one slash, while Jasa’s gu insects and the other invaders forced the Demon Sect factions into battle.
• Xue Xiuxiu raised the Lotus formation and Su Wanzhi fought the Eastern Wu warriors, as Jiang Jingnian wondered where the Demon Sect’s great powers and the Stockade’s Four Ancestors were.

Grandmasters devastated the battlefield, forcing the survivors into Stockade’s secret mineral realm, where Witchcraft Gu parasites triggered a massacre. As the factions converged on the Stone Demon offspring, Jiang Jingnian killed the Humble Tribulation Envoy and Fat Guardian revealed his Grandmaster aura beside the stone nest.

• Kuroda Masaharu joined Hase Hirohiko to unleash a combined scythe attack, and Wu Zhiming and the Upper and Lower Poison Elders countered with a Cold Baleful Reflection divine ability that left many fighters dead or wounded.
• Pavilion Master Li urged the survivors into the cave, while Jasa cursed those who tried to escape through the sea; Gold Ancestor and Iron Ancestor arrived and attacked Hase Hirohiko and Kuroda Masaharu.
• Pavilion Master Li and Yu Yinfeng opened the secret entrance to Stockade’s mineral realm, but Witchcraft Gu parasites took control of Director Fu and other infected survivors, throwing the group into chaos.
• Jiang Jingnian slipped away, collected valuable ores, followed the Stone Demon Heart’s signal, and killed the Humble Tribulation Envoy when he confronted him.
• Xue Xiuxiu and the surviving sect members found the gestating Forge Lord Xiejin, while the Illusory Water Sect, Harmonious Joy Sect, and Black Meteor Sect began fighting over it.
• Fat Guardian stepped toward the stone nest, revealed his Grandmaster Momentum, and sealed the surrounding area in hazy yellow mist.

Jiang Jingnian killed Yu Yinfeng and the Xiang Family fighters, then headed for the Stone Demon Heart, where Qian Youcai battled Jasa and Kuroda Masaharu. Xue Xiuxiu stole the Stone Demon Heart and fled, and Qian Youcai pursued her as the others recovered from his divine ability.

• Jiang Jingnian tracked Yu Yinfeng to the mineral forest and killed him despite Xiang Shui and the Xiang elders trying to intervene.
• Jiang Jingnian defeated the Xiang fighters, survived Xiang Shui’s Gouwu Metal Reforging by using a moonlight illusion, and killed the three men.
• Qian Youcai revealed himself as a Qian Household Grandmaster and forced the gathered Demon Sect experts to feed demonic qi into the Stone Demon Body.
• Jasa and Kuroda Masaharu arrived and fought Qian Youcai, while the Black Meteor Sect and Illusory Water Sect fighters struggled over the Stone Demon Heart.
• Xue Xiuxiu snatched the Stone Demon Heart and fled, abandoning Su Wanzhi and the others.
• Qian Youcai unleashed Ten Thousand Treasures Golden Radiance to drive back Jasa and Kuroda Masaharu, then pursued Xue Xiuxiu.

Jiang Jingnian arrived in the mine, seized the Stone Demon Heart, and revealed strength enough to kill Kuroda Masaharu with one punch. With Qian Youcai fighting at his side, Jiang Jingnian transformed and battered Master Jasa until his shield shattered, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Xue Xiuxiu fled Madam Xun with the Stone Demon Heart, but Madam Xun trapped her in Peach Blossom Miasma until Qian Youcai arrived and killed Madam Xun.
• Jiang Jingnian struck Qian Youcai, took the Stone Demon Heart, and refused peace unless the Qian Household surrendered two-thirds of its wealth.
• Kuroda Masaharu and Master Jasa arrived to confront Jiang Jingnian, who smelted the Stone Demon Heart and asked Qian Youcai to choose a side.
• Qian Youcai joined Jiang Jingnian and attacked Jasa, while Jiang Jingnian killed Kuroda Masaharu with a single punch.
• Jiang Jingnian transformed into a black Moonflame beast and overwhelmed Jasa, burning his vines and destroying his blood-python before shattering his shield.

Jiang Jingnian defeated Jasa, tracked him down with the Lunar Phase Divine Ability, and killed him before negotiating the Mountain Cloud School’s plans with Qian Youcai. Meanwhile, the Stockade, Hase Hirohiko, and the Xiang Family plotted to destroy the Xu Family, while Xiang Tianyun worried about his brother’s mission inside the Stockade.

• Jiang Jingnian battered Jasa until he escaped as a swarm of gu insects, while Qian Youcai’s Ten Thousand Treasures Golden Radiance destroyed most of them.
• Jiang Jingnian told Qian Youcai that the Phosphorfire Dao Lord sought the Stone Demon Heart and pressed the Qian Household to reconcile with the Mountain Cloud School; he later used a Lunar Phase mark to find and kill Jasa.
• Jiang Jingnian took Xue Xiuxiu’s Lotus Candlestick and persuaded Qian Youcai to cooperate in destroying the Stockade in exchange for the Qian Household gaining its Copper-Gold Money House.
• Jiang Jingnian collected the remains of Jasa’s and Kuroda Masaharu’s spiritual treasures, including the Black Flash Dual-Blade Style, while Qian Youcai declined to buy the scythe.
• Gold Ancestor, Iron Ancestor, Hase Hirohiko, and Xiang Hua planned to lure out the Xu Family’s grandmaster Clan Elders and destroy the family; Xiang Tianyun privately worried about his eldest brother’s mission in the Stockade.

Jiang Jingnian discovered the origins and value of the Forge Lord Xiejin Core, then used Xue Xiuxiu to send word exposing the Stockade’s betrayal to the Demon Sect factions. After Jiang Jingnian and Qian Youcai killed the Stockade force guarding the Sea-Eroded Cave, the Demon Sects gathered to attack Stockade, where Fang Mo’s accusations ignited a battle.

• Jiang Jingnian collected the mine’s ore, secluded himself to study the seized treasures, and learned the Forge Lord Xiejin Core could merge with another offspring to form the Moon-Ember Mountain Lord.
• Jiang Jingnian gave Xue Xiuxiu the Lotus Candlestick and told her to warn the Demon Sect factions that the Stockade had betrayed them and conspired with the Governor-General’s Office and other forces.
• Wu Hua received Xue Xiuxiu’s message and ordered the Lotus Intent Sect to spread the news, while Li Shengyu and Director Fu waited outside the Secret Realm, expecting the Stockade’s plan to succeed.
• Xue Xiuxiu, Qian Youcai, and Jiang Jingnian emerged from the Secret Realm; Qian Youcai and Jiang Jingnian killed Li Shengyu, Director Fu, and the Stockade experts who attacked them.
• The Five Poisons Sect, Illusory Water Sect, Harmonious Joy Sect, and other Demon Sect factions redirected their forces toward Stockade, and Fang Mo led their assault through its walls.
• Fang Mo accused Silver Ancestor and Copper Ancestor of causing Saint Son Wu’s death, attacked Silver Ancestor, and triggered a battle between the Demon Sect forces and Stockade.

Jiang Jingnian infiltrated a Stockade warehouse, killed its guards, and took the Sky-Attracting Primordial Gold before hiding to refine his treasures. When the Stockade discovered the relic had vanished, the Demon Sect attacked, and Xiang Hua arranged for ten thousand troops to be sent to defend the Stockade.

• Jiang Jingnian used his Mist Gu Illusion Garment to sneak into the warehouse and killed the one-armed Attendant, three hall masters, and several dozen guards in moments.
• Jiang Jingnian, Qian Youcai, and Xue Xiuxiu looted the warehouse, and Jiang Jingnian found the Sky-Attracting Primordial Gold hidden in a battered wooden box.
• Jiang Jingnian took the group to a seaside cave and prepared to refine the Sky-Attracting Primordial Gold, the Stone Demon Heart, and other treasures.
• Gold Ancestor discovered that the Sky-Attracting Primordial Gold's aura had disappeared, and Iron Ancestor reported that the Demon Sect had invaded and injured Silver Ancestor and Copper Ancestor.
• Xiang Hua persuaded the Stockade's Gold and Iron Ancestors to let the Governor-General's Office send ten thousand troops, while Hase Hirohiko stayed on Little Qian Island to receive Kuroda Masaharu and Jasa.

Jiang Jingnian refined new traits, then led an attack on the Eastern Wu Kingdom warships at Little Qian Island, destroying the docked fleet and boarding a patrol ship. Meanwhile, the Demon Sects besieged Stockade as the Governor-General’s Golden Iron Corps arrived, and the Xu Family learned of the Xiang Family’s troop movement and decided to intensify the turmoil.

• Jiang Jingnian devoured Sky-Attracting Primordial Gold and other trait items, gaining Threefold Gold and upgrading his resurrection and swordflame traits.
• Jiang Jingnian persuaded Qian Youcai and Xue Xiuxiu to join him in attacking the Eastern Wu Kingdom warships, then slaughtered the crew of a docked ship.
• Jiang Jingnian and Qian Youcai disabled the three docked warships, while two patrol ships bombarded the harbor and Jiang Jingnian boarded one of them from below and killed its captain.
• Fang Mo and the Demon Sect forces renewed their assault on Stockade, but the Four Ancestors activated the Life-Passing Pawnshop Momentum to repel their attacks.
• The Golden Iron Corps arrived by river as the Xu Family learned that Xiang Family troops had entered Peace City to reinforce Stockade.
• Xu Hongxiang told Xu Zhao that the situation remained manageable, and Xu Zhao decided to stir up the conflict further.

Jiang Jingnian and Qian Youcai destroyed the Eastern Wu Kingdom fleet and attacked the Pavilion on Little Qian Island, where they fought Hase Hirohiko and Kuroda Hirashige. Jiang Jingnian killed Kuroda Hirashige, while Hase Hirohiko remained alive and the battle continued.

• Jiang Jingnian and Qian Youcai cleared the Japanese pirates from the shore, and Xue Xiuxiu reported that she had dealt with those who fled to raise the alarm.
• Hase Hirohiko entered the Vein Secret Realm and discovered that Kuroda Masaharu and Grandmaster Jasa had been killed, then heard explosions from the docks and rushed back with Kuroda Hirashige.
• Hase Hayai organized the defenders around the Pavilion, but Jiang Jingnian and Qian Youcai attacked, killed the gathered samurai, and destroyed the [Shuten-doji] Momentum.
• Hase Hirohiko arrived and fought Jiang Jingnian and Qian Youcai; Kuroda Hirashige ambushed Qian Youcai and wounded her.
• Jiang Jingnian vanished and used stacked Metal Virtue attacks to severely injure Kuroda Hirashige, then pinned him down and beat him to death despite Hase Hirohiko's black-rain attack.
• Jiang Jingnian's vow advanced to destroying four Regional Domain-level Factions and changing one domain's great tide (1/4).

Jiang Jingnian defeated Hase Hirohiko but let the gravely wounded Swordsmanship Master escape, then followed his moonlight trace to the coast and agreed to wait with an old Halfway Pavilion acquaintance. Meanwhile, the Xiang Family and Demon Sects fought a devastating battle for the Stockade, and the Xu Family launched an attack as Hase Hirohiko reached the Stockade's Four Ancestors.

• Jiang Jingnian trapped Hase Hirohiko, slammed him into a crater, and left him severely wounded before Hase escaped; Qian Youcai and Xue Xiuxiu joined Jiang Jingnian in recovering and dealing with the surviving warriors.
• Xiang Yingjie revealed his end-of-the-road strength and used [Golden Wu Severing Sword] to devastate the Demon Sect forces, while both sides suffered heavy losses in the battle for the Stockade.
• Xiang Yingjie learned that the Golden Iron Corps had fewer than two thousand troops remaining and that several Demon Sect leaders had died or fled; he ordered his forces to rest and clean up the Stockade.
• Jiang Jingnian tracked Hase Hirohiko's moonlight trace to the coast, where the old man from the Halfway Pavilion warned him of another upheaval and invited him to wait for a fish to bite.
• Hase Hirohiko reached the wounded Stockade's Four Ancestors, but flares and cries of alarm announced that the Xu Family had attacked.

The Xu Family attacked the battered Xiang Family, using Sky Crow Fate Alteration and Xiang Tianyun’s hidden power to transform Xiang Yingjie’s martial path before [Great Sun Origin Mountain] killed him. As the Xu Family claimed Dongjiang Prefecture, Jiang Jingnian learned to beware them and killed Hase Hirohiko and Copper Ancestor while pursuing his own vow.

• The Xu Family’s deathsworn and four Grandmasters attacked the Golden Iron Corps, and Xu Xuanchong revealed himself as a third-heaven Grandmaster bearing Sky Crow’s power.
• Xu Xuanchong used a fate-altering ritual to weaken Xiang Yingjie and his forces, then Xiang Tianyun’s hidden power transformed Xiang Yingjie’s Metal-Virtue Martial Path into the Solar Martial Path.
• [Great Sun Origin Mountain] smashed through the descending celestial gate and killed Xiang Yingjie, leaving the Xiang Family’s momentum broken as Xu Zhao claimed the Gouwu Mandate for the Xu Family.
• Xu Xuanchong pursued Gold Ancestor, killed her, and absorbed her Sword Qi as the Four Ancestors fled; by the sea, Jiang Jingnian thanked the goateed old man for warning him and left after hearing to beware the Xu Family.
• In the wilds, Jiang Jingnian ambushed Hase Hirohiko and Copper Ancestor, killing both and advancing his vow to destroy four Regional Domain-level Factions to 2/4.

Jiang Jingnian gathered the Stockade’s spoils as its surviving Silver and Iron Ancestors fled, only for Xu Xuanchong to catch and defeat them. Jiang Jingnian intervened as Xu Xuanchong moved to kill the Silver Ancestor, then confronted him and declared that calamity was at his doorstep.

• Jiang Jingnian discovered that the Stockade’s killing intent was flowing into a scaled colossal egg, then collected Water Virtue spirituality, Metal Virtue astral baleful intent, and the essence of [Shuten Magatama One-Sword Style].
• The Silver and Iron Ancestors fled south by river and encountered Xu Mingyuan, Zhu Yulin, and their allies aboard a merchant ship.
• Xu Xuanchong arrived and battled the Silver and Iron Ancestors, defeating them with the Gou Wu Treasure Sword.
• Xu Xuanchong killed the Iron Ancestor and struck down the Silver Ancestor, while Jiang Jingnian’s sudden attack concealed his true target and finished her.
• Jiang Jingnian appeared before Xu Xuanchong, dismissed the merchant ship’s jeers, and declared that calamity was closing in on him.

Jiang Jingnian killed Xu Xuanchong and slaughtered the Xu Family and Lin Mingxin Sect forces aboard the merchant ship, then tracked down and killed Zhu Yulin after he begged for mercy. After collecting spoils and purifying the Stockade’s lingering Metal Virtue Killing Intent, Jiang proposed that the Qian and Liu Families divide the Xu Family; the chapter ended with Xu Zhao learning that the Qian Household had attacked the Xu residence.

• Jiang Jingnian killed Xu Xuanchong with a plain punch, then attacked the merchant ship and killed Elder Chen, Xu Mingyuan, Xu Yuanhong, the mocking disciples, and the other Xu Family and Lin Mingxin Sect fighters.
• Zhu Yulin escaped using a safeguard, but Jiang Jingnian pursued him and killed him after Zhu begged forgiveness and offered Dao Armament Profound Blades.
• Jiang Jingnian purified part of the dispersing Metal Virtue Killing Intent in the void, gathered nearly twenty strands of Astral Baleful Intent and three manifestations of Metal Virtue Divine Ability True Intent, and recovered the Gou Wu Treasure Sword.
• Jiang Jingnian urged Qian Youcai to take advantage of the weakened Xu and Xiang Families, and said the Qian and Liu Families could divide up the Xu Family and end its status as Peace City’s foremost family.
• Xu Zhao and three Xu Family elders planned to consolidate power across Dongjiang Prefecture, but Xu Ling arrived mortally wounded and reported that the Qian Household had attacked the Xu residence.

Jiang Jingnian recovered from his clash with Xu Xuanchong and examined the broken Gou Wu sword, while the Qian Household attacked the Xu Family estate and its allies hesitated to intervene. As Xu Zhao planned to seize Little Qian Island, Jiang Jingnian struck his forces and then ambushed Xu Zhao, leaving the two facing each other.

• Jiang Jingnian recovered from his injuries, learned the broken Gou Wu sword contained half of the Peerless Martial Arts of metal essence, and considered how it might strengthen him as a Grandmaster.
• The Qian Household stormed the Xu Family estate, while Liu Zhenshan investigated Qian Youcai's letter and Li Yuhai declined to commit Severing Blade Dock's Grandmasters to the defense.
• Qian Duoyin shattered the Xu Family's defensive barrier, and Qian Kai and Qian Wanli watched the Qian Household breach the estate.
• Xu Zhao ordered his men to seize Little Qian Island, but Jiang Jingnian's black-flame sword slaughtered most of the guards sent to the docks.
• Jiang Jingnian ambushed Xu Zhao in the shelter, but Xu Zhao's Thorn Armor absorbed the strike, and Jiang Jingnian declared that he would take the protective treasure.

Jiang Jingnian defeated and killed Xu Zhao, while Qian Youcai helped the Mountain Cloud School exploit the Xu Family’s collapse. After completing the fifth chapter of his peerless martial art, Jiang Jingnian learned that the Xu Family’s final Clan Elder had been tracked down.

• Jiang Jingnian overpowered Xu Zhao in the Stockade, and Xu Zhao fled until Qian Youcai trapped him with Falling Gold Coins.
• Jiang Jingnian revealed that the Qian Household was working for the Mountain Cloud School, then killed Xu Zhao after revealing that Xu Xuanchong and the Gou Wu Treasure Sword had been lost.
• Zeng Qiuqing told Zeng Shukong that the Xu Family had fallen and Peace City was in chaos, and Zeng Shukong decided to seize control of the Mountain Cloud School.
• Jiang Jingnian refined the Gou Wu Treasure Sword and completed the Five-Chapter True Scripture of the Sky-Gold Yin Ultimate Mystic Record.
• Qian Youcai told Jiang Jingnian that the Xu Family’s last Clan Elder had been tracked down.

Jiang Jingnian pursued the Xu Family remnants to Xinshan County, where Qian Youcai and Liu Yuanzhou ambushed Xu Lin’s party. While the Lu Family Army reinforced Xu Lin, Jiang Jingnian killed Lu Ming after luring him away from Mount Xin Pass.

• Jiang Jingnian strengthened his Turbid Extreme Swordflame, questioned Xue Xiuxiu about the Demon Sects, and gave her two divine-ability trump cards.
• Xu Lin and the surviving Xu Family members took refuge with the Lu Family in Xinshan County, where the Lu Family planned an eastern advance into Dongjiang Prefecture.
• Golden mist poisoned the county magistrate’s residence, and Lu Ming went to investigate while Lu Zhishan, Lu An and His Nephew, and Xu Lin headed for Mount Xin Pass.
• Qian Youcai and Liu Yuanzhou ambushed Xu Lin’s party near Mount Xin Pass, but Lu Zhishan and Lu An escaped and brought more than three thousand Lu Family Army soldiers to the fight.
• Jiang Jingnian killed Lu Ming by activating Life-Shortening Age-Stealing (Fleeting Splendor), then gathered the spoils and vanished into the snow.

Jiang Jingnian arrived at the besieged valley, killed Xu Lin, and broke through to the Grandmaster Path, then annihilated the Lu Family forces before escaping. He recovered at an inn and discovered that his peerless martial art was steadily eroding his humanity while tying his fate to three powerful sources.

• Jiang Jingnian watched the battle from hiding as the Lu Family Army trapped Qian Youcai, Liu Yuanzhou, and their fighters with its Water Dragon Chant.
• More Lu Family reinforcements arrived, intensifying the siege, and Qian Youcai and Liu Yuanzhou prepared to break out before they were overwhelmed.
• Jiang Jingnian appeared, relentlessly battered Xu Lin, and fulfilled his vow to destroy four Regional Domain-level Factions, advancing to Grandmaster as Xu Lin fell.
• Jiang Jingnian reached the First Heaven's limit, unleashed Frost Palace Gold, killed Lu Zhishan and Lu An, and transformed into a six-armed beast that destroyed the Lu Army's momentum and slaughtered its forces.
• Lu Zhen arrived with the Lu Family's main force and found the valley devastated but devoid of bodies; Jiang Jingnian had escaped to an inn outside Dongjiang Prefecture.
• Jiang Jingnian examined his cultivation method's status and learned that its sources were isolated for now, but the art was eroding his humanity and could make him the contested vessel of three supernatural powers.

After becoming a Grandmaster, Jiang Jingnian discovered that his peerless martial arts had greatly extended his lifespan but required him to devour a world to perfect his spirit. Meanwhile, Zeng Shukong allied with the Lu Family and attacked Cloudpool Cliff, where he killed Cao Yilin and demanded that Song Susu choose between accepting his claim to the sect master's seat or opposing him.

• Jiang Jingnian examined his Archetype field and found that he needed to devour a world to complete his spirituality.
• Zeng Shukong agreed to ally with the Lu Family, promising to kill people at the Mountain Cloud School while the Lu Family pursued its expansion.
• After emerging from seclusion, Song Susu learned that Jiang Jingnian had rapidly strengthened the Mountain Cloud School and taken charge of its affairs.
• Zeng Shukong infiltrated Cloudpool Cliff, found Cao Yilin recovering from his injuries, and attacked him in the Radiant Wind Dao Palace.
• Zeng Shukong's demonic worm destroyed the Radiant Wind Dao Palace and devoured Cao Yilin as Song Susu arrived.
• Zeng Shukong told Song Susu he intended to take the sect master's seat and establish new rules, then asked whether she would oppose him.

On his return to Peace City, Jiang Jingnian rejected Qian Youcai’s proposal that he seize control of Eastwater Prefecture, choosing to focus on cultivating his martial arts. At Cloudpool Cliff, he found the Mountain Cloud School under Zeng Shukong’s control and answered the old Dao Lord’s threat by arriving in person.

• Jiang Jingnian reviewed his improved traits and Grandmaster abilities as he and Qian Youcai discussed the Lu Family’s advance and the prospect of ruling Eastwater Prefecture.
• Jiang Jingnian told Qian Youcai he had practiced martial arts for less than a year and refused to build a realm like the great families’ dominions, saying he would prioritize becoming stronger.
• Lin Lou'er met Jiang Jingnian near Qingtian County and reported that an old devil had attacked Cloudpool Cliff, killing people and driving survivors to flee.
• Jiang Jingnian sensed demonic corruption in the Mysterious Mountain Momentum, suppressed his fading humanity, and killed the Outer Disciples who had pursued Lin Lou'er.
• At Cloudpool Cliff, Zeng Shukong forced the Mountain Cloud School to appoint him acting sect master, punished those who objected, and planned to capture Jiang Jingnian.
• Jiang Jingnian’s voice echoed up the mountain as he announced that he had come in person.

Jiang Jingnian returned to Cloudpool Cliff, revealed himself as a Grandmaster, and fought Zeng Shukong after killing Dong Heng and crushing Zeng Zhihong and Xu Baijing. Jiang Jingnian slew Zeng Shukong, and Song Susu declared the Zeng Family’s old fiend dead as the Mountain Cloud School celebrated its survival.

• Jiang Jingnian purified the wounded, learned that Zeng Shukong had seized the sect master’s seat, and killed Dong Heng despite Zeng Shukong’s attempt to stop him.
• Zeng Shukong recognized Jiang Jingnian as a Grandmaster, and Jiang Jingnian attacked him, crushing Zeng Zhihong and Xu Baijing before battling Zeng Shukong in his worm form.
• Song Susu entered the fight to help Jiang Jingnian, but his black flames forced her back as he overwhelmed Zeng Shukong with a relentless assault.
• Zeng Shukong unleashed his [Yin Demon Mountain] and Blood Moon killing move, but Jiang Jingnian survived and devoured the move’s demonic true intent.
• Jiang Jingnian used Greater Yin Form-Shifting to transfer calamity onto Zeng Shukong, then attacked him with the Moonlight Humanoid and killed him.
• Jiang Jingnian and Song Susu returned to the mountain’s foot, where Song Susu announced Zeng Shukong’s death and the disciples celebrated.

After Zeng Shukong’s attack devastated Cloudpool Cliff and Qingtian County, Jiang Jingnian purged sect members who had defected and punished Song Susu before treating her injuries. The Zeng Family celebrated its supposed victory, unaware that Jiang Jingnian had arrived at their banquet to kill them.

• Jiang Jingnian mourned Dao Lord Cao Yilin, reviewed the casualties, and agreed to summon those who had fled while arranging compensation and repairs.
• Jiang Jingnian stripped Song Susu of her Dao Lord position for six months and killed elders and other sect members who had defected to Old Devil Zeng.
• Song Susu accepted her punishment, and Jiang Jingnian later treated her lunar-phase injuries in the Wood-Nurturing Dao Palace.
• At the Zeng Family banquet, Zeng Qiuqing and her guests celebrated their belief that Old Devil Zeng had taken control of the Mountain Cloud School and that Jiang Jingnian was dead.
• As the Zeng Family banquet continued, a phantom Moon Palace crashed down, and Jiang Jingnian announced that everyone present should die.