Recaps

Gu Yuanqing continued transforming his Profound Martial Secret Treasure while Yuan Yingsong and his guards came to retrieve the general. After Gu Yuanqing suppressed the soldiers and rebuked them for demanding his help, they left the mountain, and a goshawk carried a message to Divine Eagle Guard Headquarters.

• Gu Yuanqing drew North Spring Mountain's Earth Sha into his Profound Martial Secret Treasure, which continued transforming as his true qi recovered.
• Zhang Zhuo led the guards up North Spring Mountain and found Yuan Yingsong kneeling outside Gu Yuanqing's courtyard.
• When Zhang Zhuo tried to help Yuan Yingsong, Gu Yuanqing's pressure suppressed the guards' true qi and left several of them unable to move.
• Zhang Zhuo accused Gu Yuanqing of humiliating Yuan Yingsong and failing to help Great Qian, so Gu Yuanqing struck him aside and demanded respect.
• Gu Yuanqing ordered Yuan Yingsong to keep kneeling until he had something to say, and Yuan Yingsong sent Zhang Zhuo and the guards back down the mountain.
• A goshawk flew to Divine Eagle Guard Headquarters an hour after Zhang Zhuo and the others descended.

After the Divine Eagle Guard reported Yuan Yingsong’s actions, Li Haotian ordered Xu Lianying to investigate whether someone had interfered with the Imperial Guard Armies. On North Spring Mountain, Gu Yuanqing faced a grandmaster in the Spiritual Mountain Trial and began trying to understand the gap between their powers.

• Zhang Ji was enraged by Gu Yuanqing’s treatment of the Divine Eagle Guard, but his adviser urged him to report the matter to Li Haotian instead of confronting Gu Yuanqing.
• Li Haotian suspected that Yuan Yingsong had been manipulated and ordered Xu Lianying to bring him back from North Spring Mountain and investigate.
• Xu Lianying reported that the Crimson Dragon Cult was advancing slowly under the command of Si Zhiyu and the foreign expert Zuo Qiu.
• Gu Yuanqing questioned Yuan Yingsong about who wanted to cause trouble for him, but Yuan Yingsong refused to answer, so Gu Yuanqing returned to cultivation.
• In the Spiritual Mountain Trial, Gu Yuanqing discovered that Xu Lianying had reached the Dao Embryo Realm and was killed almost instantly by his fly-whisk.
• Gu Yuanqing concluded that Xu Lianying’s eyes and the grandmaster’s mind-and-will techniques might explain the gap, and decided to enter the trial again.

Gu Yuanqing repeatedly challenged Xu Lianying in the Trial Space and learned that a Grandmaster’s advantage lay in the union of Mental Power and will. Back on North Spring Mountain, he continued gathering heavenly gang qi, held Yuan Yingsong and the soldiers under pressure, and noticed Xu Lianying arriving at the foot of the Front Mountain.

• Gu Yuanqing repeatedly fought Xu Lianying in the Trial Space, discovering that a Grandmaster’s gaze could imprint his will on his mind and leave him unable to fight.
• Gu Yuanqing concluded that his Mental Power was strong but scattered, while a Grandmaster’s will was concentrated, and he realized Dao Embryo Transformation involved transforming the mind.
• Gu Yuanqing slowed his pursuit of Grandmasterhood as the Profound Martial Secret Treasure neared Transformation, then returned from gathering heavenly gang qi to find Yuan Yingsong still kneeling.
• Zhang Zhuo and the soldiers asked Gu Yuanqing to spare Yuan Yingsong for the sake of guarding the Demon Realm Seal, but Gu Yuanqing made them kneel under crushing pressure as well.
• Gu Yuanqing read and wrote on the rear mountain using Object Control, then sensed Xu Lianying entering North Spring Mountain.

Gu Yuanqing hosted Xu Lianying, agreed to let him take Yuan Yingsong back to Capital City, and learned that the Imperial Court would not tolerate the Crimson Dragon Cult’s advance. Meanwhile, the cult’s forces continued toward Capital City after destroying an army, and Zuo Qiu struggled to control his Ghost Head Saber.

• Gu Yuanqing recognized Xu Lianying as a Grandmaster and welcomed him to North Spring Mountain with a shipment of supplies.
• Xu Lianying asked to take Yuan Yingsong away, and Gu Yuanqing agreed while warning that he disliked being coerced.
• Xu Lianying assured Gu Yuanqing that Imperial Guard soldiers would no longer climb the mountain without permission and said the Great Qian Dynasty could defend itself against the Crimson Dragon Cult.
• Gu Yuanqing released Yuan Yingsong and his subordinates from the pressure that had kept them kneeling, and Xu Lianying ordered Yuan Yingsong to accompany him to Capital City to meet the emperor.
• Several hundred Crimson Dragon Cult followers rode toward Capital City after Tong Tianxiong’s fifty-thousand-man army was slaughtered at Tunxi Slope.
• Zuo Qiu said the Ghost Head Saber had nearly turned on him after he killed too many people.

Zuo Qiu led the Crimson Dragon Cult toward North Spring Mountain and the royal capital, while Emperor Li Haotian’s court organized defenses against his advance. The chapter ended with Li Haotian sending word to Gu Yuanqing about the danger and leaving his response to him.

• Zuo Qiu inspected the Ghost Soul Blade, learned the group was nearing the capital, and ordered the carriages to hurry toward North Spring Mountain first.
• Emperor Li Haotian’s court learned the Crimson Dragon Cult was expected to reach the capital the next day and discussed how to defend against it.
• Lai Tianfeng warned that the cult could infiltrate the formation at Dayu Mountain, so Li Haotian sent True Master Xuanqing and Qin Wuya there.
• Li Haotian ordered Chen Ao to take the Dragon Steed Army, Huben Guard, and Qian Dragon Heavenly Saber to defend Fengtian City’s north gate.
• Prince Qing told Li Haotian that the Imperial Ancestor had agreed to investigate North Spring Mountain, though even he could not be certain of defeating Zuo Qiu.
• Li Haotian asked Xu Lianying to inform Gu Yuanqing about the Crimson Dragon Cult and leave it to Gu Yuanqing to decide whether to stay or fight.

Gu Yuanqing prepared to defend North Spring Mountain as the Crimson Dragon Cult approached, while the Great Qian court worried about the threat and the consequences of revealing its Imperial Ancestor. A gray-haired Cult expert arrived at the mountain’s foot and sensed that both it and the power within were unusual.

• Zhang Zhuo vowed that the Imperial Guard would defend the Demon Realm Seal, and Gu Yuanqing told him to retreat into North Spring Mountain if necessary.
• Gu Yuanqing used Mountain Observation to sense the mountain’s changes and practiced a Sword Formation with the Kunwu Sword, blue needles, and emerald bamboo.
• Li Haotian awaited reports in the capital as fear spread, while Prince Gu dismissed his family’s pleas to flee and learned the Crimson Dragon Cult was heading for North Spring Mountain.
• Li Haotian and Prince Qing discussed the Imperial Ancestor’s arrival and Gu Yuanqing’s possible help, while Li Haotian worried about the political and succession implications of drawing close to him.
• A gray-haired old man in blue reached the foot of North Spring Mountain and remarked on the mountain’s strange nature and the expert living beyond the imperial house.

The Blue Robe old man arrived at North Spring Mountain with the Emperor’s authority and ordered the Divine Eagle Guard to withdraw before the Crimson Dragon Cult arrived. Gu Yuanqing watched from the mountain as the cult’s riders approached, led by a formidable, brazen man.

• Liu Guanliang executed two deserters, then received the Blue Robe old man’s Golden Dragon Token and agreed to withdraw the Divine Eagle Guard.
• At a roadside teahouse, Zuo Qiu killed the owner after discovering his poisoning attempt, and Si Zhiyu identified him as a disciple of Myriad Poison Valley.
• The Blue Robe old man noticed Gu Yuanqing on North Spring Mountain and called to him, but the two exchanged only a brief greeting before waiting in silence.
• Gu Yuanqing accepted fruit from the Monkey King and remained on the mountain as the Crimson Dragon Cult’s riders approached.
• Gu Yuanqing spotted a burly man standing atop the carriage at the head of the approaching group.

Zuo Qiu, a Visitor from Beyond, fought Li Shi'an, a Fire Dao Realm expert, while Gu Yuanqing watched and learned that their world was a Trial Ground. As Zuo Qiu gained the advantage, Si Zhiyu rushed toward North Spring Mountain to capture Gu Yuanqing, unaware of the danger approaching.

• Zuo Qiu identified Li Shi'an as his opponent and revealed that he came from beyond the Trial Ground.
• Li Shi'an confirmed that Zuo Qiu was a Visitor from Beyond and drew his flexible sword to fight him.
• Zuo Qiu and Li Shi'an exchanged powerful attacks, with Li Shi'an forced to defend against Zuo Qiu's blood-red Dao Coin strikes.
• Gu Yuanqing watched the battle and realized that Fire Dao Realm lay beyond grandmaster, while the world held secrets he did not know.
• Si Zhiyu left his subordinates behind and hurried toward North Spring Mountain to capture Gu Yuanqing while Zuo Qiu fought.

Gu Yuanqing killed Crimson Dragon Cult Leader Si Zhiyu, while Li Shi'an struggled against Zuo Qiu and his Spiritual Treasure saber. Gu Yuanqing called Li Shi'an into North Spring Mountain for help, and Li Shi'an fled there as Zuo Qiu's Blood Tiger pursued him.

• Si Zhiyu suppressed Gu Yuanqing with his Grandmaster aura, but Gu Yuanqing severed his connection to heaven and earth and killed him with the Kunwu Sword.
• The Crimson Dragon Cult members panicked and fled after their leader's death, while Zuo Qiu drove Li Shi'an back.
• Zuo Qiu revealed that his saber was a Spiritual Treasure and transformed it into a Blood Tiger that broke Li Shi'an's sword and wounded his arm.
• Gu Yuanqing judged that he needed Li Shi'an's help to defeat Zuo Qiu and called for him to enter North Spring Mountain.
• Li Shi'an unleashed the Dragon Slaying Technique again and retreated toward North Spring Mountain as the Blood Tiger pursued him.

Li Shi'an was driven into North Spring Mountain by Zuo Qiu, where Gu Yuanqing used the mountain’s power to suppress Zuo Qiu’s Blood Tiger Yao Blade. Zuo Qiu refused to enter the mountain, and Gu Yuanqing asked Li Shi'an how they could stop him from outside its bounds.

• Zuo Qiu battered Li Shi'an with the Blood Tiger Yao Blade as Li Shi'an struggled to reach North Spring Mountain and burned Dao Embryo Essence Blood to survive.
• When the Blood Tiger entered North Spring Mountain, Gu Yuanqing used the mountain’s power to suppress it and draw the Blood Tiger Yao Blade to himself.
• Zuo Qiu stopped just short of entering the mountain, sensing danger, and accused Gu Yuanqing of relying on a Formation.
• Gu Yuanqing claimed the blade and joked that it was ideal for chopping firewood, while Zuo Qiu studied the mountain’s Formation for a way through.
• Li Shi'an thanked Gu Yuanqing for saving him, explained that Zuo Qiu’s warning premonitions had exposed the Formation, and was asked how they could defeat Zuo Qiu outside the mountain.

Gu Yuanqing sheltered Li Shi'an after their fight with Zuo Qiu, and Li Shi'an explained that the thousand-year trials brought Fire Dao Realm cultivators from the Outer Heavens. He revealed that the Lingxu Sect held a path to the Outer Heavens, leaving Gu Yuanqing thinking of Li Miaoxuan.

• Gu Yuanqing took Li Shi'an to his courtyard, confident that North Spring Mountain's array could keep Zuo Qiu at bay.
• Li Shi'an told Gu Yuanqing that trial people from the Outer Heavens arrived every thousand years and that Zuo Qiu had joined the Crimson Dragon Cult.
• Li Shi'an revealed that he belonged to Great Qian's Imperial Family and explained that the trials might involve the Demon Realm Seals and a difference in the passage of time.
• Li Shi'an said people had left this world but none had returned, then revealed that the Lingxu Sect had a path to the Outer Heavens.
• Gu Yuanqing thought of Li Miaoxuan when he learned the Lingxu Sect's secret.

Gu Yuanqing learned from Li Shi'an about the Heaven Ascending Path and the limits of the Fire Dao Realm, while Zuo Qiu attacked North Spring Mountain's protective formation. After Gu Yuanqing stopped the damage and Li Shi'an left to warn the royal capital, Gu Yuanqing confronted Zuo Qiu at the mountain's front.

• Li Shi'an told Gu Yuanqing about the Heaven Ascending Path and offered to recommend him, mentioning that Li Miaoxuan might join him.
• Zuo Qiu searched for a way up North Spring Mountain, then struck it with his palm and wrecked part of the forest.
• Gu Yuanqing used Object Control to stop Zuo Qiu's attacks from damaging the mountain further.
• Li Shi'an decided to leave for the royal capital to warn against Zuo Qiu, and Gu Yuanqing arranged to keep Zuo Qiu occupied while he departed.
• Gu Yuanqing found Zuo Qiu studying the formation and invited him to sit and talk.

Gu Yuanqing resisted Zuo Qiu’s attempts to threaten and ensnare him, then tested the power of the Yao Blade while Zuo Qiu watched from below North Spring Mountain. Li Shi'an reached the royal capital and went to the Imperial Palace to meet Li Haotian and Prince Qing.

• Gu Yuanqing resisted Zuo Qiu’s blood-eye technique with the protection of North Spring Mountain, causing Zuo Qiu’s spell to backfire and injure his eyes.
• Gu Yuanqing returned to the summit, reassured Aunt Feng that the mountain had enough food and supplies, and warned her not to go downhill.
• Gu Yuanqing released the Yao Blade’s suppression and found that its Blood Tiger aura nearly overwhelmed him, while the blade easily sliced through a stone.
• Gu Yuanqing noticed Zuo Qiu approaching the mountain boundary, ignored him, and began practicing control of the Yao Blade.
• Li Shi'an returned to the royal capital and went to the Imperial Palace, where he found Li Haotian and Prince Qing.

Li Shi'an returned to the Imperial Palace and told Li Haotian and Prince Qing Li Cunguo about Zuo Qiu, the world beyond their own, and Li Miaoxuan’s coming journey on the Heaven Ascending Path. Meanwhile, Zuo Qiu infiltrated North Spring Mountain, where Gu Yuanqing sensed him and prepared an ambush.

• Xu Lianying delivered a report that Gu Yuanqing had killed the Crimson Dragon Cult Leader with a single sword stroke.
• Li Shi'an arrived at the Imperial Study and admitted that he was no match for Zuo Qiu.
• Li Shi'an explained Zuo Qiu’s origins, the world beyond their own, and the Heaven Ascending Path that Li Miaoxuan would take in a little over a year.
• Li Shi'an asked why Gu Yuanqing had been imprisoned on North Spring Mountain, but Li Haotian and Prince Qing Li Cunguo avoided answering directly.
• Zuo Qiu secretly returned to North Spring Mountain and slipped past its boundary while using the Hibernating Dragon Technique.
• As Zuo Qiu climbed the mountain, Gu Yuanqing sensed him and raised the Yao Blade, Kunwu Sword, and blue-glimmering needles, prompting Zuo Qiu to flee downhill.

Gu Yuanqing trapped Zuo Qiu on North Spring Mountain and attacked him with controlled weapons while the mountain suppressed Zuo Qiu’s cultivation. Just as Gu Yuanqing’s blade struck, Zuo Qiu vanished, leaving behind a Wooden Puppet and a burst of blood-red light.

• Zuo Qiu’s cultivation was sealed by the mountain’s pressure, so he fled downhill using only his Physical Body.
• Gu Yuanqing attacked Zuo Qiu with a Dao Coin, the Kunwu Sword, needles, and the Blood Tiger Yao Blade as Zuo Qiu fought back while retreating.
• Zuo Qiu’s injuries worsened as the Blood Tiger Yao Blade drained his blood and strength, but he continued trying to reach the mountain’s edge.
• Gu Yuanqing increased the Blood Tiger Yao Blade’s power, and it broke Zuo Qiu’s short Dao Coin before striking his chest.
• Zuo Qiu swore revenge as the blade struck him, then vanished and left a Wooden Puppet that burst with blood-red light.

Gu Yuanqing drove Zuo Qiu off North Spring Mountain but could not kill him, and found Zuo Qiu’s Heir Apparent Storage Bag after the escape. He inspected its contents, then returned to cultivating as he anticipated the Profound Martial Secret Treasure’s Transformation.

• Gu Yuanqing suppressed Zuo Qiu’s attempt to escape underground, and the Blood Tiger Yao Blade battered him until he finally crossed North Spring Mountain’s boundary.
• Gu Yuanqing warned Zuo Qiu not to enter the mountain again, and Zuo Qiu fled without discovering the mountain’s true defenses.
• Gu Yuanqing found Zuo Qiu’s bloodstained Heir Apparent Storage Bag and discovered pills, a statue, and a Silk Book that might describe a Fire Dao Body Tempering Secret.
• Zuo Qiu realized his Cosmic Bag was missing and chose to heal rather than risk returning to North Spring Mountain.
• Gu Yuanqing reviewed the battle, kept the damaged Kunwu Sword as a memento, and focused on cultivating as the Profound Martial Secret Treasure’s Transformation drew near.

While the court weighed how to respond to the wounded Zuo Qiu, Gu Yuanqing completed the transformation of his Profound Martial Secret Treasure into a Saint Martial Secret Treasure. His breakthrough toward the grandmaster realm began as his Secret Treasure rose from the crimson palace.

• Li Haotian told Li Shi'an and Prince Qing that Zuo Qiu had suffered severe injuries and vanished into the mountain forests.
• Li Shi'an advised Li Haotian not to send an army after Zuo Qiu and said he had summoned fellow Daoists to confront him.
• Gu Yuanqing continued cultivating at North Spring Mountain and refined more than a thousand acupoints through the Heavenly Cycle Great Formation.
• Gu Yuanqing's Profound Martial Secret Treasure transformed, its outer membrane turning seven-colored as its inner world expanded and stabilized.
• Gu Yuanqing entered a state of enlightenment, realized he could break through to the grandmaster realm, and began lifting his Secret Treasure upward from the crimson palace.

Gu Yuanqing completed his breakthrough to the Grandmaster Realm after three days of cultivation. Gu Wenqi then tried to exploit the Grandmaster’s Hundred-Day Transformation Weakness Period to force Gu Yuanqing to teach him the method of becoming a Grandmaster.

• Gu Yuanqing merged his Profound Martial Secret Treasure, spirit, and intent to form a Dao Embryo, restoring his heartbeat as his body and consciousness synchronized with its pulses.
• Feng Tao and Aunt Feng avoided disturbing Gu Yuanqing while he cultivated, and the animals on North Spring Mountain grew hostile toward outsiders.
• After three days, Gu Yuanqing emerged from his courtyard as a Grandmaster and experienced the mountain and its creatures with renewed clarity.
• Gu Wenqi brought Gu Yuanqing dinner and congratulated him on his breakthrough, then asked him to teach the method of becoming a Grandmaster so he could avenge his blood debt.
• Gu Yuanqing identified incense in the food box as Gu Wenqi’s attempt to drug him, but Gu Wenqi revealed he was relying on the Grandmaster’s Hundred-Day Transformation Weakness Period to threaten him.

Gu Wenqi tried to exploit Gu Yuanqing’s vulnerable breakthrough into the Grandmaster Realm, but Gu Yuanqing overpowered him and spared his life after Li Shi'an intervened. Gu Yuanqing reduced Gu Wenqi’s cultivation and then questioned Li Shi'an about why he had protected him.

• Gu Wenqi confronted Gu Yuanqing during his Grandmaster transformation, threatening him and demanding the North Spring Sword Sect’s inheritance.
• Gu Yuanqing offered Gu Wenqi a cultivation method leading to the Grandmaster Realm and challenged him to take it by force or leave.
• Gu Wenqi attacked with the Firewood Saber but held back, and Gu Yuanqing easily threw him down and restrained him.
• Li Shi'an emerged and asked Gu Yuanqing to spare Gu Wenqi because he was the last remaining member of the North Spring Sword Sect.
• Gu Yuanqing spared Gu Wenqi but struck his crimson palace, reducing his cultivation from the true martial eighth layer to the True Martial Seventh Layer.
• After Gu Wenqi left North Spring Mountain, Gu Yuanqing asked Li Shi'an why he had intervened on Gu Wenqi’s behalf.

Gu Yuanqing kept the Blood Tiger Yao Blade and agreed that Zuo Qiu would not reclaim it, while Li Shi'an and his allies prepared to track the outsider. After learning that Taiwu Mountain's defenders had been massacred and another outsider might have appeared in Great Zhou, Gu Yuanqing resumed cultivation and turned his attention to the Secret Sword.

• Li Shi'an confirmed that Gu Yuanqing still held the Blood Tiger Yao Blade, and the Hemp Robe old man revealed that he had marked Gu Wenqi so they could sense if Zuo Qiu captured him.
• A Heavenly Policy Mansion messenger reported that Zuo Qiu had killed the forces guarding Taiwu Mountain but left its Demon Realm Seal intact.
• The Hemp Robe old man told Li Shi'an that another expert, possibly from the Outer Heavens, had appeared in the Great Zhou Kingdom.
• Gu Yuanqing told Feng Tao that Gu Wenqi had left North Spring Mountain and explained that he had stayed for the mountain's secret treasure.
• Gu Yuanqing assessed his progress toward becoming a true Dao Embryo Realm Cultivator, then sent the Blood Tiger Yao Blade toward the cliffs to investigate the Secret Sword.

Gu Yuanqing unearthed the Secret Sword and discovered that it grew larger and heavier when infused with true qi, but he found no hidden mysteries in it. In Shuofang City, Gong Xin confronted Zuo Qiu about what had happened on North Spring Mountain and asked whether he wanted his Dao Coin back.

• Gu Yuanqing used the Blood Tiger Yao Dao Coin to break through into the secret chamber and retrieve the three-inch Secret Sword.
• Gu Yuanqing infused the Secret Sword with true qi and found that it grew larger and heavier, then used Mountain Observation on it without uncovering its secrets.
• Gu Yuanqing reflected on his evolving Dao Embryo and concluded that its growing world and laws would increase its power.
• Gong Xin arrived at a roadside stall in Shuofang City and sat down opposite Zuo Qiu, who had lost his Blood Tiger Yao Blade.
• Gong Xin asked Zuo Qiu what he had encountered on North Spring Mountain and whether he wanted his Dao Coin back.

Great Zhou invaded Great Qian through Taiwu Mountain, forcing the Imperial Court to respond while Gong Xin and Zuo Qiu waited for the kingdom’s defenses to weaken. At North Spring Mountain, Gu Yuanqing completed his Dao Embryo and entered the Grandmaster Realm.

• Great Zhou troops crossed Taiwu Mountain, and the beacon guards raised the alarm as the attackers advanced on Anping Province.
• The Minister of War told Li Haotian that Great Zhou had captured both prefectures and all twelve cities in five days, and that Han Bing had died fighting a Grandmaster.
• Gong Xin explained to Zuo Qiu that he had persuaded Great Zhou to invade with promises of a Longevity Pill and a cultivation method, and said they would exploit the resulting transfer of Great Qian’s experts.
• Daoist Xuanqing sensed two streams of killing intent near Dayu Mountain, and Qin Wuya suspected they came from Zuo Qiu and an outsider from the Outer Heavens.
• Gu Yuanqing completed the nurturing of his Dao Embryo, transformed his true qi into true essence, and perceived the world’s Dao and principles as he entered the Grandmaster Realm.

Gu Yuanqing tested his newly attained true essence and used it to control the Secret Sword before confronting Zuo Qiu and Gong Xin at North Spring Mountain. After Gu Yuanqing slaughtered many of Gong Xin’s poison bees, he mocked Zuo Qiu for bringing a friend to deliver gifts.

• Gu Yuanqing tested how true essence strengthened his attacks and movement techniques, then learned to control the Secret Sword with it.
• Zuo Qiu and Gong Xin arrived at North Spring Mountain, and Gong Xin used his Nether God Cave Heaven Eye to inspect its defenses.
• Gong Xin sent a swarm of Ghost Face Gold Devouring Bees into the mountain while Gu Yuanqing attacked them with the Blood Tiger Yao Blade and Secret Sword.
• Gu Yuanqing killed more than a hundred bees before Gong Xin recalled the swarm, and Gu Yuanqing taunted Zuo Qiu about bringing a friend with gifts.

Gu Yuanqing drove Gong Xin and Zuo Qiu away from North Spring Mountain, but they planned to return that night with a technique from the Netherworld Sect. As he prepared for their attack, Gu Yuanqing explored the Secret Sword and practiced Mountain-Viewing Object Control, waiting to see what they would try.

• Gong Xin and Zuo Qiu left after Gong Xin decided to test a Netherworld Sect technique on North Spring Mountain that night.
• Gu Yuanqing killed the surviving Poison Bees, buried them, and resolved to repay the damage they had caused to the mountain’s animals and trees.
• Gu Yuanqing tried to uncover the Secret Sword’s mysteries and glimpsed faint runelike lines by combining true essence with Mountain Observation.
• Gu Yuanqing warned Aunt Feng to stay inside or hide in the cellar that night, then resumed practicing Mountain-Viewing Object Control.
• Gu Yuanqing sensed a possible new layer of Object Control and awaited Gong Xin and Zuo Qiu’s return.

Gu Yuanqing secretly watched Zuo Qiu and Gong Xin unleash eerie Spell Arts against North Spring Mountain, and used Object Control to repel their phantoms, animals, and crawling bones. Gong Xin and Zuo Qiu left after surrounding the mountain with heaps of bones and corpses, while Gu Yuanqing realized the siege would make the coming months difficult.

• Gu Yuanqing concealed himself near the former Imperial Guard camp and watched Gong Xin summon an idol phantom with an Array Formation and Jade Flute.
• Gong Xin's flute summoned phantoms of the dead from North Spring Mountain, including Kong Shengbing, Shentu Hong, and Old Man Tianzhu, and Feng Tao was struck down in agony.
• Gu Yuanqing used Mountain Observation and Object Control to disperse the phantoms across the mountain, causing Gong Xin to suffer a backlash.
• Gong Xin resumed his Spell Arts and summoned White Bones, corpses, and animals toward North Spring Mountain, but Gu Yuanqing drove the animals away and made the bones collapse.
• Gong Xin and Zuo Qiu departed after the bones piled several zhang high around North Spring Mountain, and Gu Yuanqing watched them leave, expecting further attacks.