Chapter Summaries

Jiang You'er and Huang Ye learned that the Extreme Fire Sect had uncovered Zhen'er's identity as a transformed Fire Spirit, while the Demon Empress's intervention in Dazhi City threw Divine Mountain's investigation into turmoil. Granny Qi used the disruption to arrange secret measures for the Bai Clan, and the old man in black asked Dong Wenshu to employ his relative at Morning Moon Hall.

• Jiang You'er reported that Yin Tianlu had confessed the Extreme Fire Sect's suspicions about Zhen'er and her connection to Shi Chun.
• Lou Xiu told Huang Ye that the Demon Empress's representative had arrived in Dazhi City with the Flower Consort Token and taken over the questioning after the Extreme Fire Sect arrested Morning Moon Hall's family.
• Qiu Ben and the Divine Maiden left Divine Mountain for Dazhi City, suspending the interrogation of the Bai Clan.
• Yin Fei secretly told Granny Qi about the crisis in Dazhi City, and Granny Qi gave him a list of Bai clansmen to silence and instructions to send coded messages to Gao He and Huang Yingying.
• The old man in black asked Dong Wenshu to let his relative work at Morning Moon Hall under a suitable identity.

After the Dong family survived their arrest, Dong Wenshu dismissed Xianglan and welcomed Ruojun, the old man in black’s relative, as the Book Hall’s new odd-job worker. Feng Qingping and Qiu Ben apologized and offered the Dong children cultivation opportunities, but Dong Wenshu declined for now; the chapter ended with the family discovering their apology gifts contained twenty million sandalwood gold in banknotes.

• Dong Wenshu told his family that Wang Ping had implicated them and dismissed Xianglan, explaining that the old man in black had saved their lives and would be placing a relative at the Book Hall.
• City Guards apologized to Dong Wenshu and gave him ten thousand sandalwood gold coins, which he accepted while deciding to refund the Book Hall’s customers.
• Ruojun arrived at the Book Hall as the old man in black’s relative, introduced herself to the Dong family, and spent the evening drinking and casually helping Dong Liangyi cook.
• Feng Qingping and Qiu Ben visited to apologize for the trouble caused by the Extreme Fire Sect, and Feng offered to help Dong Liangyu cultivate while Qiu invited the Dong children into the sect.
• Dong Wenshu declined the cultivation offers for the time being, but Feng Qingping and Qiu Ben left Mother-Child Talismans and apology gifts before departing.
• Dong Liangze opened the gifts and found twenty million sandalwood gold in banknotes, while Ruojun watched the family debate what to do with the money.

Shi Chun reunited with Wu Jinliang’s group and escaped the Divine Mountain while Feng Qingping confronted the Extreme Fire Sect over its treatment of the Bai family. At the Morning Moon Hall, the woman in red drew scholars’ attention, offered to arrange teachers for the Dong siblings through her cousin, and left them noticing that Dong Wenshu had begun dressing up.

• Yin Xu received a cryptic message for Gao He, and Shi Chun recognized Granny Qi’s attempt to preserve their cooperation after Wu Jinliang escaped.
• Shi Chun met Wu Jinliang and the others, then used Wu Jinliang’s Earth-Diving Technique and the Command Arrow to conceal their escape from the Divine Mountain.
• Feng Jue told Feng Qingping that Bai family prisoners had died or been badly injured during interrogations, and Feng Qingping ordered the Phoenix Clan to restrain the Extreme Fire Sect.
• Feng Jue reported that a battle at the boundary sea involved a treasure resembling the missing Great Sun Golden Ring, and Feng Qingping told the Extreme Fire Sect to investigate while warning Dazhi City to protect Bai Qiru.
• The woman in red took over the Morning Moon Hall counter, attracted the scholars’ attention, and offered to arrange renowned teachers for the Dong siblings through her cousin.
• Dong Wenshu considered letting his children choose their own paths, while the siblings noticed that he had begun paying attention to his appearance.

Qiu Ben faced pressure to end the Extreme Fire Sect’s fruitless interrogation of the Bai family while Granny Qi secretly arranged a delivery of Death-Defying Incense to Shi Chun. Shi Chun’s group collected the incense and began testing it underground, where its potent fragrance appeared as Shi Chun examined the burning paste.

• Qiu Ben rejected Huang Lang’s suggestion to pursue Yin Xu immediately and ordered continued surveillance of Huang Yingying while the sect waited for Shi Chun to lower his guard.
• Yin Fei passed Granny Qi’s instructions to Yin Xu, who relayed the secret message to Shi Chun through the Mother-Child Talisman.
• Shi Chun recognized Barrier Slope as the First Meeting Place and sent Lao Changhai to collect the hidden box containing the Death-Defying Incense.
• Lao Changhai transferred the paste into a new jar, concealed the original container, and followed a planned route while Shi Chun’s companions checked for pursuers.
• Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang went underground with the incense and an earth wolf to test it, while Chu Jingtang and the others kept watch aboveground.
• Wu Jinliang burned a lump of the paste, and its extraordinary fragrance filled the cavern as Shi Chun activated his right eye’s special ability to inspect it.

Shi Chun tested Death-Defying Incense on dead wolves and discovered it opened a passage into a sinister, starry realm. Believing it might lead to the sealed Underworld, he leapt inside while Wu Jinliang stayed behind to guard the opening.

• Shi Chun watched Death-Defying Incense revive a wolf, while his right eye revealed golden threads burrowing into tiny black holes and drawing back points of light.
• Wu Jinliang kicked the revived wolf into the cave wall, so Shi Chun used the Mother-Child Talisman to have Lao Changhai bring another wolf for testing.
• Shi Chun directed the incense smoke toward the second wolf and gathered its golden threads with azure aura, enlarging their destination into a black hole that Wu Jinliang could see.
• Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang saw a distorted starry passage beyond the opening and wondered whether it led to the Underworld in the Nether Realm.
• Shi Chun told Wu Jinliang to guard the spot, then leapt into the black hole despite Wu Jinliang's warning.

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang entered a dark world through the black hole and were confronted by Heavenly Court officers who accused them of soul theft. The officers’ demand for an arrangement left Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang staring in recognition at a familiar Six Realms Exchange note.

• Shi Chun crossed the starry passage into a yin-filled world, keeping the golden threads bound so he could return through the black hole.
• Wu Jinliang entered the passage to join Shi Chun, despite Shi Chun’s warning that he should stay behind.
• Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang prepared to leave when the golden threads began retracting, but two armored commanders arrived after spotting their light.
• One commander tried to catch the white lights entangled with the golden threads, while the other accused Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang of being soul thieves.
• The pale-faced commander went to fetch reinforcements, and the dark-faced commander demanded that Shi Chun follow the rules for an arrangement.
• Wu Jinliang lit the commander’s paper, and Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang recognized the familiar Six Realms Exchange note.

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang discovered that ancient Six Realms Exchange notes could bribe a black-faced Nether Realm general, Lao Xi, into covering up their soul theft. After returning to the living world, Shi Chun decided to send Chu Jingtang and Lao Changhai back through a passage to investigate the Nether Realm and learn its prices for hiring fighters.

• Shi Chun showed Lao Xi a million-liang note, and Lao Xi confirmed it was genuine and offered to erase the soul-theft incidents in exchange for money.
• Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang traded names with Lao Xi, learned they were at Wandering River, and exchanged a Mother-Child Talisman to keep in touch.
• Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang escaped through the black hole, which vanished after they returned, and they concluded they had visited the Nether Realm.
• Shi Chun summoned Chu Jingtang and Lao Changhai and asked them to enter the Nether Realm to investigate its rules and the cost of hiring experts to fight.

Shi Chun prepared Chu Jingtang and Lao Changhai to enter the Nether Realm, giving them money, instructions, and a way to contact Lao Xi while seeking a method to imprison souls. He used Death-Defying Incense to awaken the Boundless Banner and distributed powerful treasures to the two men, leaving Yin Tianlu sensing that his Heavenly Net Sword-Bone Umbrella was nearby.

• Shi Chun revealed that Death-Defying Incense could open a passage to the sealed Nether Realm and gave Chu Jingtang and Lao Changhai Six Realms Exchange notes and instructions for their mission.
• Shi Chun told the two men about Lao Xi and explained that learning how to imprison souls might give them a way to escape Gathering Grotto Continent.
• Lao Changhai caught an Earth Wolf, and Wu Jinliang used Death-Defying Incense to fumigate the Boundless Banner until Shi Chun awakened its artifact spirit.
• Shi Chun used the Boundless Banner to release a heap of treasures, then gave Chu Jingtang the fifth-grade Sudden Slash and Lao Changhai the Heavenly Net Sword-Bone Umbrella.
• Yin Tianlu sensed that the Heavenly Net Sword-Bone Umbrella was nearby and stood up in alarm.

Yin Tianlu alerted Huang Ye’s forces that Shi Chun might possess the Boundless Banner and his lost Heavenly Net Sword-Bone Umbrella, prompting them to mobilize a pursuit. Meanwhile, Shi Chun tested a way to sever the Two-Realm Passage and prepared to seek more Death-Defying Incense and research the Nether Realm before traveling there.

• Yin Tianlu told the commander that his lost Heavenly Net Sword-Bone Umbrella might be with Shi Chun, and explained how the Boundless Banner could have captured it.
• Jiang You'er reported Yin Tianlu’s account to Huang Ye, who ordered him to lead a force toward the treasure’s location before Shi Chun could react.
• Yin Tianlu’s connection to the umbrella was erased, but he could still estimate that it was within fifty li, so Huang Ye sent Jiang You'er to pin him down and mobilized reinforcements.
• Lao Changhai and Chu Jingtang received restored magical treasures, then Shi Chun led them through the Two-Realm Passage and returned to sever its golden threads with the Demonic-Blight-Free Saber.
• Shi Chun told Wu Jinliang they should contact Granny Qi through Bai Qiru for more Death-Defying Incense, then planned to visit Dazhi City to research the Nether Realm before their journey.

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang used Death-Defying Incense to awaken several fifth-grade treasures and tested their powers before preparing to enter Dazhi City. When the Extreme Fire Sect searched the area after Yin Tianlu sensed the Heavenly Net Sword-Bone Umbrella, Shi Chun fled to draw the pursuers away while Wu Jinliang and Xiao Sheng hid.

• Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang bathed their damaged treasures in Death-Defying Incense, awakening the Flying Dragon Sword, Soul-Scattering Mace, and Crescent Moon Gold Wheels.
• Shi Chun tested the treasures, revealing the sword's flood-dragon form, the mace's sandstorm, and the wheels' powerful rotating barrier.
• Shi Chun examined the self-repairing Black Lotus Treasure and discussed repairing his damaged Invisibility Blanket and Immortal-Strangling Sash.
• Shi Chun told Wu Jinliang to hide with Xiao Sheng while he went toward Dazhi City in disguise, but Xiao Sheng reported that people were searching the area.
• Shi Chun suspected Yin Tianlu had sensed the Heavenly Net Sword-Bone Umbrella and ordered Wu Jinliang and Xiao Sheng to hide while he lured the searchers away.
• Shi Chun revealed his true appearance, fled through the heart-wrapping grass, and rode the Wind Scales into the sky as the experts pursued him.

Shi Chun was ambushed by Demonic Path forces and fought them off with his magical treasures, killing many pursuers before escaping in a sandstorm. Jiang You'er reported the failure, but a gray-clad expert arrived and insisted Shi Chun could still be found.

• Shi Chun recognized that Earth Immortal pursuers were closing in and used the Flying Dragon Sword to block their first attack.
• Yin Tianlu identified Shi Chun, and Shi Chun used the Three Corpses Mirror and Six-Path Golden Wheel to kill Yin Tianlu, his guards, and several pursuers.
• As reinforcements attacked, Shi Chun deployed the Soul-Scattering Mace, creating a massive tornado of sand that overwhelmed the encircling forces.
• Wu Jinliang and Xiao Sheng escaped underground while Shi Chun used the dust and sandstorm to disappear from the battlefield.
• Jiang You'er learned that Shi Chun had escaped and that seven Earth Immortals and over thirty Human Immortals had died.
• A gray-clad expert arrived, dismissed the report of Shi Chun's escape, and ordered Jiang You'er to take him to the place where Shi Chun was last seen.

A mysterious gray-clad man investigated Shi Chun’s escape and ordered Jiang You’er’s group to withdraw while he pursued the target himself. At Morning Moon Hall, Sword Saint Fu Que arrived to study its books, and the disguised Shi Chun returned to research the Nether Realm, where he encountered the woman in red.

• The gray-clad man inspected the site of Shi Chun’s escape, criticized Jiang You’er’s group, and left to deal with the target himself.
• A scholar in blue arrived at Morning Moon Hall and was revealed by the woman in red to be Sword Saint Fu Que.
• Dong Liangze told Dong Wenshu Fu Que’s identity, prompting Dong Wenshu to arrange wine and food for his guest.
• Shi Chun disguised himself, entered Dazhi City, and avoided visiting the closed Bai Family Rice Shop.
• Shi Chun returned to Morning Moon Hall to research the Nether Realm and found the woman in red reclining behind the counter.

Shi Chun disguised himself to visit the Book Hall and found Dong Wenshu doting on a demon cultivator called Sister Jun. He entered the library, but Dong Liangyu tracked him down and challenged him over being one coin short.

• Shi Chun used his Right-Eye Ability to discover that the woman in red behind the counter was a weak demon cultivator with a vine as her law source.
• Dong Liangying mistook Shi Chun for a lecher pursuing Sister Jun, then wondered whether his familiar build resembled Wang Ping, the Book Hall's former odd-job worker.
• Dong Wenshu arrived, showed unusual care toward the woman in red, and left to buy supplies for her.
• Shi Chun paid seven coins to enter the library, and Dong Liangyu noticed his practiced familiarity with the shelves and hidden side door.
• Dong Liangyu followed Shi Chun upstairs, confronted him, and said he had paid six coins, leaving him one coin short.

Shi Chun returned to Morning Moon Hall to read, where Dong Liangyu recognized him and confronted him about her family's arrest before agreeing to keep his presence secret. A gray-clad man with powerful demonic essence followed a trace to Shi Chun on the third floor, and Shi Chun silently tried to evade him as danger closed in.

• A gray-clad man passed the Bai Family Rice Shop, adjusted his Veiled Hat, and continued through the city.
• Dong Liangyu recognized Shi Chun despite his disguise, confronted him about her family's suffering, and learned he had returned to read.
• Shi Chun asked Dong Liangyu to pretend she had not recognized him, and she left one coin on a shelf to show she had not taken advantage of him.
• The gray-clad man entered Morning Moon Hall, used his demon eye to find his target, and followed the trace upstairs to the Library Pavilion.
• Shi Chun sensed the newcomer's powerful demonic essence and silently moved behind the shelves to evade him.
• The red-clad woman stopped tapping her ledger and watched sharply as the two men approached a confrontation.

Shi Chun tried to evade a gray-clad demonic cultivator in the Library Pavilion, but his pursuit led him to a scholar in blue with formidable power. The scholar trapped the pursuer with a technique that the gray-clad figure recognized as A Prison Drawn Upon the Ground.

• Shi Chun used his azure energy to hide his aura and crept through the Library Pavilion while the gray-clad figure searched for him with Demon Eyes.
• Shi Chun encountered a scholar in blue, begged him to stay quiet, and discovered that the scholar possessed a powerful Law Source.
• The gray-clad figure sensed Shi Chun with Magical Power and arrived; he recognized the scholar in blue but denied knowing him before trying to leave through a window.
• The woman in red struck the account book, freezing people and movement within the Pavilion as the gray-clad figure found the window sealed.
• The scholar in blue rose and prevented the gray-clad figure from moving a bookshelf, prompting the figure to cry out, "A Prison Drawn Upon the Ground!"

The Azure-Robed Literatus recognized the Gray-Robed Man as Demon Sixteen and chased him from Dazhi City, where he destroyed the fugitive’s body but failed to stop all of his escaping fragments. After the Library Pavilion reopened, Dong Wenshu and the others investigated the commotion, while Shi Chun and Dong Liangyu met upstairs.

• The Azure-Robed Literatus attacked the Gray-Robed Man inside the Library Pavilion and recognized him as Demon Sixteen when the man evaded his sword strikes.
• The Azure-Robed Literatus opened a path through the window, and Demon Sixteen fled into the sky with him in pursuit as the city’s defensive formation activated.
• The Azure-Robed Literatus struck Demon Sixteen with a vast sword attack, turning him into blood mist, but black fog scattered into many fleeing serpentine streaks.
• The Azure-Robed Literatus returned to the sealed Library Pavilion, where the woman in red released the barrier and he resumed reading.
• Dong Wenshu returned to the Book Hall, asked Ruojun what had happened, and went upstairs after hearing that someone had broken through a window.
• Dong Liangyu asked Shi Chun what had happened, and Dong Wenshu called anxiously for his daughter from the stairs.

After the scholar in green drove off Demon Sixteen, Shi Chun stayed at Morning Moon Hall while the wounded attacker returned to Huang Ye and reported his failure. At dinner, the Dong siblings were invited to name their desired masters, and Dong Liangying’s choice of Li Hongjiu surprised the woman in red.

• Dong Wenshu arrived at the damaged Book Hall, while the City Guard investigated the strange events and Li Xianghong discovered that the City-Guarding Grand Array had briefly shut down.
• The scholar in green told Shi Chun that Demon Sixteen had escaped, and Shi Chun went upstairs, asked Dong Liangyu to keep his presence secret, and contacted Wu Jinliang.
• Huang Ye visited the injured gray-robed man, learned that Fu Que had forced him to escape by detonating himself, and took a blood bead to find three hundred people whose blood and vital essence could heal him.
• At dinner, the woman in red invited the Dong siblings to choose potential masters, and Dong Liangyi asked about studying under Situ Gu of the Heavenforging Sect.
• Dong Liangying asked to become Li Hongjiu of the Treasure-Evolving Sect’s disciple, and the woman in red choked on her wine before questioning her choice.

Dong Liangying explained why she wanted to become Li Hongjiu’s disciple, and the woman in red agreed to help her pursue it. The woman then asked the scholar in blue to take one of the family’s children as a disciple, but he made his agreement conditional on Situ Gu and Li Hongjiu accepting the proposed disciples first.

• Dong Liangying said she wanted to study Li Hongjiu’s cultivation method because she believed she could persevere and learn from the family’s books despite her poor talent.
• The woman in red agreed to try to arrange for Dong Liangying to become the sect leader of the Treasure-Evolving Sect’s disciple and Li Hongjiu’s junior sister; Dong Liangyu accepted any master, while Dong Liangze asked about Mister Fu.
• Dong Liangze joked about Wang Ping criticizing Dong Liangyi’s cooking, and the woman in red learned why the family had laughed.
• After dinner, the woman in red found the scholar in blue in the Library Pavilion and asked him to take one of the family’s children as a disciple.
• The scholar in blue refused unless Situ Gu and Li Hongjiu agreed to take Dong Liangyi and Dong Liangying as disciples first, and the woman in red left to pursue the arrangements.

Shi Chun tried to find a safe way out of the Book Hall while hiding from the Demonic Path, but a search by a woman in red exposed him. After Dong Liangyu confirmed he could stay, Sister Jun took charge of questioning him and revealed her connection to the Demon Empress.

• Shi Chun considered escape routes and hid in a dark corner when a woman in red came up to the third floor.
• The woman in red searched for Mister Fu, and Shi Chun left his hiding place before realizing she was not looking for him.
• Sister Jun mistook Shi Chun for a thief and threatened to call for help until Dong Liangyu arrived and confirmed he had permission to stay.
• Sister Jun led Shi Chun upstairs to question him despite Dong Liangyu's protests.
• Sister Jun told Shi Chun that her mother's cousin was a trusted subordinate of the Demon Empress.

Shi Chun, disguised as an old man, met the Red-Clad Woman Ruojun at Morning Moon Hall and learned of her connections to the Demon Empress and Sword Saint Fu Que. After she exposed his disguise, he revealed himself as Wang Ping and tried to win her over, but Ruojun challenged him to help with a task the Second Miss had assigned her.

• Shi Chun questioned Ruojun about her cousin-uncle, the Demon Empress, and Sword Saint Fu Que.
• Ruojun ripped off Shi Chun’s false beard and threatened to summon Fu Que, so Shi Chun revealed his true face and identified himself as Wang Ping.
• Ruojun said the Second Miss trusted Wang Ping and that his return would not endanger the family while she was there.
• Wang Ping confessed that he had come to see Ruojun, and she challenged him to prove his feelings by helping with a task for the Eldest Miss and Third Miss.
• Ruojun sent Wang Ping to ask the Second Miss about the task, accepted half of his Mother-Child Talisman, and left.