Chapter Summaries

Dongfang Minghui faced repeated dangers in Cloud Capital City and began to suspect someone was targeting her, while Qian Wanyu watched over her and Liu Qi tried to make amends. The chapter ended with an unseen assailant drowning Dongfang Minghui at a lake until she fought back with hidden needles and Toothless attacked.

• Dongfang Minghui secretly watched Qian Wanyu's match, met Xuanzhu, and returned after making Toothless a jasmine-scented Teething Stick.
• Dongfang Minghui went shopping with Liu Qi, and two beastfolk rescued them from a charging One-Horned Crawling Beast that someone had deliberately released.
• Dongfang Minghui and Liu Qi passed their assessment, while Dongfang Minghui realized Murong Qingyi might be behind the attacks.
• An attacker grabbed Dongfang Minghui at a lake and forced her underwater, but she fired silver needles from her Jade Belt and Toothless lunged at the attacker.

Dongfang Minghui bit the person holding her, causing them to loosen their grip. She heard a familiar voice and glimpsed a figure vanishing.

• Dongfang Minghui bit down on the person's hand.
• The person shouted and loosened their hold on Dongfang Minghui.
• Dongfang Minghui raised her head and saw a hazy figure vanish from sight.

After surviving an attempted drowning, Dongfang Minghui began training her accuracy and resolved to grow stronger, while Qian Wanyu identified Murong Qingyi as the likely attacker. Xuanzhu later wagered a spirit medicine from her family’s garden against Dongfang Minghui in a pebble-throwing contest, and Qian Wanyu arrived as Xuanzhu admitted she had lost.

• Xuanzhu rescued Dongfang Minghui from the lake and escorted her home, where she told Qian Wanyu what had happened.
• Dongfang Minghui suspected Murong Qingyi had attacked her, and Qian Wanyu resolved to confront her after the competition.
• Dongfang Minghui practiced throwing silver needles through the night and improved her control and accuracy.
• Qian Wanyu tested Murong Qingyi, confirmed her connection to the attack, and told Mu Sheng she would deal with her after the tournament.
• Xuanzhu visited Dongfang Minghui, wagered a spirit medicine on a pebble-throwing contest, and lost before Qian Wanyu arrived.

Love Flower asked to choose when her promise would be fulfilled, and Dongfang Minghui agreed. Dongfang Minghui then accepted Xuanzhu’s wager prize and prepared to visit the medicinal herb garden with Qian Wanyu.

• Love Flower told Dongfang Minghui she wanted to choose when the time came.
• Dongfang Minghui readily agreed to Love Flower’s request.
• Xuanzhu reminded Dongfang Minghui that her promise to let her choose a medicinal herb still stood.
• Dongfang Minghui asked Qian Wanyu if she had time, and Qian Wanyu agreed.
• Dongfang Minghui told Xuanzhu they wanted to visit the medicinal herb garden and choose their herbs right away.

Dongfang Minghui chose a seemingly dying medicinal plant from the royal Spirit Medicine Court, which the Love Flower claimed as its new companion. Meanwhile, Qian Wanyu captured and tortured Murong Qingyi for trying to kill Minghui, then questioned how she had afforded Blood Baleful Alliance assassins.

• Xuanzhu led Qian Wanyu and Dongfang Minghui through guarded palace checkpoints to the royal Spirit Medicine Court, where their spiritual power was blocked.
• Following the Love Flower's directions, Dongfang Minghui chose a sickly-looking plant and brought it back to her room, where the Love Flower took it as a companion and Dongfang Minghui named it Zhaocai.
• Love Flower admitted it had noticed someone following Dongfang Minghui after her assessment but had not warned her, and Dongfang Minghui agreed to take it along and visit the Blood Baleful Alliance after improving her skills.
• Qian Wanyu used the Rose Tower's help to capture Murong Qingyi, then tortured her until she confessed to trying to kill Dongfang Minghui out of jealousy over Li Yunan.
• Qing Mo questioned how Murong Qingyi could afford five Blood Baleful Alliance assassins, and Qian Wanyu offered her a chance to live.

Qian Wanyu questioned Murong Qingyi about her attempt to drown Ninth Sister, and Murong Qingyi claimed she had acted alone before fleeing when someone arrived. Qian Wanyu suspected Murong Qingyi was concealing other assassination attempts.

• Qian Wanyu offered Murong Qingyi a chance to live if she explained how she had tried to kill Ninth Sister.
• Murong Qingyi struggled to speak because her throat had been injured, and Qian Wanyu ordered Li Jing to give her a healing pill.
• Murong Qingyi admitted sneaking up on Ninth Sister by the lakeside and holding her underwater until Ninth Sister fired a concealed weapon.
• Murong Qingyi said she fled when someone arrived, but Qian Wanyu suspected she was hiding other attempts to kill Ninth Sister.

Qian Wanyu searched Murong Qingyi’s memories, uncovered a black-robed conspirator, and survived Murong Qingyi’s self-detonation before hiding her disappearance behind a breakthrough. While Qian Wanyu pursued Xuanzhu, Dongfang Minghui was drawn into a scheme to recruit her as the disciple of the Thieving Strange Hand, who challenged her to a contest.

• Qian Wanyu searched Murong Qingyi’s memories, learned that a black-robed person had directed earlier attacks on Ninth Sister, and was injured when Murong Qingyi self-detonated.
• Qing Mo warned Qian Wanyu that Murong Qingyi’s self-detonation had been triggered by a planted suggestion, then fell silent to enter seclusion.
• Qian Wanyu returned after two days and claimed she had broken through to Great Spirit Master, while Dongfang Minghui worried about her and learned Xuanzhu had been seeking her.
• Qian Wanyu left to look for Xuanzhu, then arranged for Xuanzhu to keep Dongfang Minghui company during the spiritual power infusion at Phoenix Pool.
• Xuanzhu lured Dongfang Minghui to her master’s house, where the Thieving Strange Hand intended to recruit her; Dongfang Minghui exposed their act and whipped Xuanzhu before the master challenged her to a contest.

Dongfang Minghui learned that the master thief had lost both her legs and followed her toward an open space to compete. As little children began dragging objects from nearby rooms, Dongfang Minghui wondered what they were doing.

• A breeze lifted the blanket over the master thief's legs, and Dongfang Minghui saw that both were missing.
• The master thief asked what they were competing in, and Dongfang Minghui could not bring herself to refuse.
• The master thief told Xuanzhu to bring Dongfang Minghui along and pushed her wheelchair toward an open space.
• Dongfang Minghui followed Xuanzhu and watched children drag things out of the rooms, then asked what they were doing.

Dongfang Minghui trained with the Thieving Strange Hand’s Little Beans, advanced to Great Spirit Master, and began learning his methods while Xuanzhu revealed how much she feared losing her master. At the same time, Qian Wanyu absorbed thunder essence in the Phoenix Pool and survived tribulation lightning to advance in her thunder element; afterward, she returned to find Dongfang Minghui gone and learned the Thieving Strange Hand was leaving Cloud Capital City.

• Dongfang Minghui lost a series of contests against Xiao Mao and the Little Beans, then agreed to train under the Thieving Strange Hand before leaving Cloud Capital City.
• Xuanzhu brought Dongfang Minghui to the Dark Alley, where she trained alongside the Little Beans and learned that the Thieving Strange Hand planned to leave.
• Dongfang Minghui meditated, advanced from Level One Spirit Master to Level Nine Spirit Master, and then broke through to Great Spirit Master while Xuanzhu and her companions guarded her.
• Qian Wanyu absorbed nine streams of thunder essence in the Phoenix Pool and endured three bolts of tribulation lightning to advance as a Thunder-Type Great Spirit Master.
• Qian Wanyu returned to the courtyard, found Dongfang Minghui missing, and discovered that she had been training with Xuanzhu at the Dark Alley.
• The Thieving Strange Hand told Xuanzhu and Dongfang Minghui that he was moving away, and Dongfang Minghui reassured him that they could meet again.

Dongfang Minghui learned that Thieving Strange Hand and her master planned to visit the Golden Star Empire and might stay in the Snow Capital. She was delighted at the chance to keep learning from her master and planned to ask Situ Hao to find them a house.

• Thieving Strange Hand explained that her master wanted to see the Golden Star Empire and that they would stay if they liked it.
• Dongfang Minghui was surprised that Thieving Strange Hand might accompany her back to the Snow Capital.
• Thieving Strange Hand teased Dongfang Minghui by asking whether she was unwelcome.
• Dongfang Minghui welcomed her and considered asking Situ Hao to find a house, treating the cost as a tribute to her master.
• Dongfang Minghui asked whether Thieving Strange Hand would return to the Snow Capital with her.

Dongfang Minghui and Qian Wanyu became trapped in a stone forest, where they broke the formation by chasing off Pig Immortal Grass, and continued their journey toward Cloud Capital City. Near the city, black-clad members of the Darkness Corps attacked Dongfang Minghui and Lü Xing, forcing them to flee in separate directions.

• Qian Wanyu kissed Dongfang Minghui against a tree, leaving Dongfang Minghui flustered and unsure how to face her.
• Qian Wanyu and Dongfang Minghui became trapped in a stone forest, where Dongfang Minghui spotted Pig Immortal Grass and chased it with Love Flower, Zhaocai, and Toothless.
• The stone formation stopped when Pig Immortal Grass fled, and Toothless dug up colorful marbles and a Tin Shard before the group reunited with Mu Sheng and Lü Xing.
• Dongfang Minghui agreed to consider training in the Elf Clan territory with Qian Wanyu, and Lü Xing said the clan would welcome them.
• Black-clad members of the Darkness Corps attacked Dongfang Minghui and Lü Xing, prompting Dongfang Minghui to whistle for help and flee while the attackers pursued her.

Dongfang Minghui tried to escape her relentless pursuer by using her spiritual power to launch leaves at them, then fled again as they recovered. With her strength nearly spent and the pursuer closing in, her chances of getting away looked slim.

• Dongfang Minghui stopped on a tree and used her spiritual power to send leaves flying at her pursuer.
• The leaves cut her pursuer, giving Dongfang Minghui a chance to flee dozens of yards.
• Dongfang Minghui realized the attack had nearly exhausted her spiritual power.
• A voice warned Dongfang Minghui that her pursuer was catching up.

Dongfang Minghui and Qian Wanyu fought Death Spirit Masters who sought the Elf Heart, and Minghui broke the seal on Little Lecher’s cultivation to defeat their Spirit King leader. After learning that the enemy had captured her mother, Minghui suffered a backlash that left her unable to move, and she awoke two months later as Love Flower led Qian Wanyu toward Blue Star Dream.

• A Death Spirit Master’s death aura vanished when it attacked Dongfang Minghui, and Qian Wanyu rushed to her aid after hearing her emergency whistle.
• Dongfang Minghui killed one Death Spirit Master by severing his head, while Qian Wanyu and Mu Sheng joined the fight against the others.
• Dongfang Minghui used a fake Elf Heart to distract the enemy, then teamed up with Qian Wanyu against their Spirit King leader as Mu Sheng tried to protect her.
• Dongfang Minghui broke Little Lecher’s seal and rose to Third-Level Spirit King, then helped Qian Wanyu kill the leader inside Love Flower’s Illusion Realm; he revealed that her mother was their captive.
• Dongfang Minghui collapsed from the backlash and remained unconscious for two months, while Qian Wanyu returned her to the Royal Academy and wrote to the Dongfang Family.
• Dongfang Minghui woke unable to move, and Love Flower led Qian Wanyu to Blue Star Dream in the courtyard.

Dongfang Minghui indicated that something beneath the Blue Star Dream tree might help her recover, and Qian Wanyu understood that she wanted to take root there like Love Flower. Nan Nan watched over her and told her how Qian Wanyu had fought upper-year students while she was unconscious.

• Qian Wanyu asked whether something beneath the Blue Star Dream tree could help Dongfang Minghui recover.
• Dongfang Minghui blinked to confirm that she wanted to take root beneath the tree like Love Flower.
• Qian Wanyu understood and hurried out.
• Nan Nan came to watch over Dongfang Minghui and said Qian Wanyu had challenged upper-year students every day while she was unconscious.
• Dongfang Minghui wondered whether Qian Wanyu cared for her that much.

Dongfang Minghui recovered from the backlash after cultivating by tracing the starry sky, and Qian Wanyu accepted the Chaos-Heaven Pill she urged her to take. After the two left the Royal Academy to begin training, Dongfang Minghui visited the Thieving Strange Hand to explain her absence and say goodbye.

• Dongfang Minghui regained movement in her fingers and persuaded Qian Wanyu to swallow the Chaos-Heaven Pill, while concealing that she knew about Qian Wanyu's dark-type spiritual power.
• Mu Sheng and Qian Wanyu were questioned by the academy's leaders about the Death Spirit Masters, and Situ Hongying secretly explained why Dongfang Minghui had not been contaminated by death aura.
• Qian Wanyu received an eight-character letter about the Dongfang Family, burned it, and kept its contents to herself.
• Dongfang Minghui cultivated for a week and recovered her ability to move and speak, then left the Royal Academy with Qian Wanyu to begin training.
• Dongfang Minghui followed the Thieving Strange Hand's marks to meet him, explained her three-month absence, and declined his gift of Plum Blossom Nails while promising to become his disciple after training.

Dongfang Minghui left the little courtyard with Qian Wanyu, only to discover that Xiao Mao had secretly returned the thirty-six plum blossom nails to her. She realized the young boy had outdone her at pickpocketing.

• Dongfang Minghui left the little courtyard after saying goodbye to Xiao Mao and his senior brothers.
• Qian Wanyu took Dongfang Minghui's hand and pulled the item tucked against her chest out.
• Dongfang Minghui opened the item and found all thirty-six plum blossom nails inside.
• Dongfang Minghui realized Xiao Mao must have slipped the nails to her, and Qian Wanyu comforted her by saying she would learn such skills too.

Qian Wanyu took Dongfang Minghui on a training journey, where Dongfang Minghui fought Magic Beasts and discovered a new skill taking shape. After Qian Wanyu helped Princess Xuanzhu escape from a Dark-Type city, Dongfang Minghui secretly stole Pill Formulas and pills, then felt jealous when she saw Xuanzhu riding on Qian Wanyu’s back.

• Qian Wanyu trained Dongfang Minghui against level-three and level-four Magic Beasts, saving her from a Two-Winged One-Eyed Tiger and later letting her fight alone.
• Qian Wanyu lured three enraged bear beasts toward five Sacred Feather Academy students, then kissed Dongfang Minghui after Dongfang Minghui took her hand.
• Qian Wanyu traveled to Cloud Capital City with Dongfang Minghui, then met Princess Xuanzhu to plan an attempt to obtain the Pill Formula.
• Dongfang Minghui secretly followed Xuanzhu to the Cheng Residence, entered its hidden passage, stole Pill Formulas and pills, and gave a captive man medicine and a flying needle.
• Cheng Feng discovered the stolen items and ordered her guards to stop Xuanzhu, so Qian Wanyu carried Xuanzhu out of the city while Dongfang Minghui escaped separately.
• Dongfang Minghui saw Qian Wanyu carrying Xuanzhu and felt jealous, then returned to the inn and shut herself in her room.

Xuanzhu told Qian Wanyu that Cheng Feng had the Pill Formula in her spatial ring, after admitting her plan to steal it had failed. Qian Wanyu left, while Xuanzhu worried that Cheng Feng might refuse to give her the Chaos-Heaven Pill in three months.

• Xuanzhu decided to forgive Yu for carrying her the whole way and considered making another plan in three months.
• Qian Wanyu grabbed Xuanzhu by the throat and demanded to know who had the Pill Formula and where it was.
• Xuanzhu said the Pill Formula was in Cheng Feng's spatial ring and admitted she had planned to steal it.
• Xuanzhu worried that Cheng Feng might suspect her and withhold the Chaos-Heaven Pill in three months.
• Qian Wanyu sneered and left.

Dongfang Minghui secretly investigated the Blood Baleful Alliance, but Qian Wanyu caught and confronted her, forcing her to confess that she had stolen Chaos-Heaven Pills and the Pill Formula from the Cheng Residence. Qian Wanyu learned the truth and chose not to press Dongfang Minghui about why she had kept it secret.

• Qian Wanyu learned that the Dongfang Family had been destroyed and hid the news from Dongfang Minghui.
• Qian Wanyu lost control of her desire for Dongfang Minghui, then stopped when they were alone together in the room.
• Dongfang Minghui searched for the Blood Baleful Alliance's branch and left a commission naming Lu Peng, but Qian Wanyu's people captured her and brought her to Qian Wanyu.
• Dongfang Minghui admitted she wanted to find the alliance and kill Mu Yang to avenge Qian Wanyu, and Qian Wanyu agreed to help her.
• Qian Wanyu questioned Dongfang Minghui about where she had gone, and Dongfang Minghui confessed that she had followed Qian Wanyu to the Cheng Residence and taken ten Chaos-Heaven Pills and the Pill Formula.

Qian Wanyu freed Dongfang Minghui and comforted her, while Dongfang Minghui asked whether she was still angry. Qian Wanyu’s mood softened, and she asked to hold her once.

• Qian Wanyu untied Dongfang Minghui and gently stroked the marks on her skin.
• Dongfang Minghui tentatively asked Qian Wanyu whether she no longer blamed her.
• Qian Wanyu gazed at Dongfang Minghui and asked to hold her just once.