Recaps

Ding Songyan and Zheng Zhuxi pursued the Three Fiends, investigated Wangtianmen Island, and learned more about Qin Guanchan and Kunlun. In Qisong Prefecture, they uncovered Yan Peng’s crimes and encountered a string of deaths linked to dreams.

• Ding Songyan learned that Qin Guanchan had given He Luo an immortal seed and connected his visits to Prefecture City with Wangtianmen Island.
• Ding Songyan, Zheng Zhuxi, and their companions pursued the Three Fiends across the Great River, killed them at a ruined temple, and recovered the golden-rain tree flower.
• The group gave the flower to Temple Host Zhu, who refined companion pills, while Ding Songyan and Zheng Zhuxi borrowed the Great Dreaming chapters from the Prefectural Yamen.
• Ding Songyan mastered Three Thousand Years of Great Dreaming, developed dream-based sword techniques, and learned from Qu Zhongheng that his mother had vanished while searching for the heavenly gate above Wangtianmen Island.
• Ding Songyan and Zheng Zhuxi saw Nine-Phoenix’s remnant soul on Wangtianmen Island and decided to return in winter to investigate further.
• Ding Songyan learned that Yan Changqing had found Kunlun and that a man surnamed Jiang had guided him, but dark green lightning destroyed Yan Changqing’s soul before he could explain more.
• Ding Songyan and Zheng Zhuxi captured and killed Yan Peng, discovered his search for the Mount Fuyu Elixir Herb, and arranged to distribute his stolen wealth to his victims.
• Ding Songyan and Zheng Zhuxi followed the elixir herb’s trail to Qisong Prefecture, where Ding discovered that the dead father of the Lü siblings had dreamed he was sick and spotted Chen Jindong with his sword intent on him.

Ding Songyan helped expose Chen Jindong’s dream murders, refined his Dream Sword, and spent the New Year with Zheng Zhuxi’s family. He then traveled toward Yuejiang Prefecture with Pan Yunzhou, where his investigation led him to confront Ge Qi over Old Man Jiang’s identity.

• Ding Songyan and Zheng Zhuxi exposed Chen Jindong’s dream crimes, and Ding killed him during his dream tribulation before the authorities could take him into custody.
• Ding Songyan refined his Dream Sword, devised the Lesser Limitless Method for Zheng Zhuxi, and celebrated the New Year with her family and Zheng Ziming.
• Tao Wenshu told Ding Songyan that the Sage-Slaying Path had used the Liu Family as cover and that he had been seen near Ge Family Village, so Ding arranged to travel toward Yuejiang Prefecture with Pan Yunzhou.
• Ding Songyan and Pan Yunzhou flew by Painted Airship, then continued by horse toward Immortal Cave County, where Ding used the Dream-Waking Block to help Wu Jiting reconsider his life.
• Tang Du attacked Ding Songyan at a relay-station inn, and Ding killed him with the embryonic Six Harmonies as One before arranging for Pan Yunzhou to claim the bounty.
• Ding Songyan left Pan Yunzhou and went to Ge Family Village, where Ge Qi fled after recognizing him and then revealed that Old Man Jiang had sought a younger body.
• Ding Songyan questioned Ge Qi about Old Man Jiang and tested him with the Dream-Waking Block before following him to the old man’s hollow.
• Ge Qi attacked Ding Songyan with fiery techniques, but Ding’s sword strike awakened memories of Ge Qi’s body-snatching attempts, and Ge Qi’s ghost then tried to possess Ding as Ding manifested the Hundun State.

Ding Songyan uncovered the Two-Faced Clan’s demon seed plot and killed Bai Zhaolin after Tao Wenshu died in their duel. As the Xiaoming Sect mourned Tao Wenshu and prepared for the coming Consort Selection, Ding Songyan continued his cultivation and warned allies about the threat.

• Ding Songyan found Ji Hanyi’s letter and a soul-preserving cultivation art after Ge Qi’s soul dissolved, then hid Ge Qi’s death and returned to the sect.
• Ding Songyan restored the Pan Family’s organ-dressing method, and Pan Yunzhou chose to undergo the dangerous procedure and received an Azure Dragon organ.
• Ding Songyan and Zheng Zhuxi exposed Fu Yangquan as a Two-Faced Clan member, learned that Suan Yu had transformed him, and reported the clan’s methods to Yi Qincang.
• Yi Qincang warned that a Two-Faced Clan infiltrator planned to enter the Xiaoming Sect, but Tao Wenshu died after Bai Zhaolin challenged and killed her in a duel.
• Ding Songyan defeated Bai Zhaolin in a Life-and-Death Duel and learned that the Accumulated Evil Path had arranged the duel and supplied Bai with Disaster Upon the World.
• Ding Songyan and his allies uncovered evidence that the Accumulated Evil Path was preparing for Emperor Jianwu’s next Consort Selection, with demon seeds and other infiltrators involved.
• Ding Songyan asked Tao Wenshu’s spirit about his absence, and she told him to protect the Xiaoming Sect’s future before Zheng Zhuxi left to mourn with her father.
• Ding Songyan warned his allies about demon seeds, advanced his cultivation, and watched Yang Shiduo depart for the Flame Capital.

Ding Songyan settled into his guard post at Prince Kang’s Residence and pursued a series of threats tied to the Ghost-Wyrm Path and the Accumulated Evil Path. After helping Ma Accountant’s son and uncovering corruption, he suspected the elusive Emissary had infiltrated the residence.

• Ding Songyan brought the Lü siblings into a secret branch, developed the Dao One Sword, and traveled with Wang Zhou’s delegation to Flame Capital to guard Prince Kang’s Residence.
• Ding Songyan met Luo Mingyin, learned of her ties to the Emperor Terrace, and helped her deal with men harassing her while investigating Qi Lingyi’s murder and the missing yin soul.
• Ding Songyan questioned Lay Buddhist Little Zhang about the Ghost-Wyrm Path and persuaded Ou Luwen to give him a year to write stories for his cultivation method.
• Ding Songyan investigated a possessed servant and received Shi Wuyan’s lead that powerful members of the Ghost-Wyrm Path had come to Flame Capital.
• Ding Songyan exposed corruption at the Silver Hook Gambling House, secured Accountant Ma’s confession, and destroyed the evil entity poisoning Ma’s child, though the Emissary escaped.
• Ding Songyan befriended Liu Cheng, sparred with the residence’s guards, and learned from Zhang Yingbo and Yan Qing that they had encountered a vendor selling burial artifacts.
• After Liu Cheng survived an Accumulated Evil Path grandmaster’s attack, Ding Songyan smelled the Emissary’s jasmine-and-sandalwood scent in the residence and turned back toward Liu Cheng.