Recaps

Duan Rong returned to Wild Boar Mountain, strengthened his cultivation, and entered Taiyi Sect’s selection process while uncovering embezzlement at Yuan Shun Escort Agency. He blocked the Document Repository to stop Xu Shouxian’s allies from interfering, and sent Luan Bao flying just as Ruan Fengshan returned with the wounded Luan Jingfu.

• Duan Rong found the village and Qin Lao Han’s family murdered, then discovered Shen Chen and his bandits looting the Quan family’s secret chamber and killed them.
• Duan Rong buried Qin Lao Han’s family, took the Quan family’s treasure to his cave, and delivered Shen Ping’s medicine and final words to Xiao Zongting and Hu Huanhuan.
• Duan Rong developed a medicinal soup that accelerated his cultivation and trained by carrying a Rock Coffin up and down Gu Mountain.
• Xu Shouxian withheld Duan Rong’s approved funds, but Duan Rong concealed his rapid cultivation progress and earned a Commendation Order from Sun Huang and Ruan Fengshan.
• Duan Rong paid Xi Men Kan Kan to register for Taiyi Sect’s selection, then Ruan Fengshan assigned him and Xiao Yu to audit the escort agency’s accounts.
• Duan Rong devoured Li Jun’s abacus Artifact Spirit, mastered accounting, and traced nested ledgers to uncover discrepancies tied to Xu Shouxian, Wang Dean, and Zhu Shicheng.
• Duan Rong, Xiao Yu, and Huang Qing completed their review of the twelfth-month accounts, and Duan Rong locked the repository and waited outside with evidence of the discrepancies.
• Duan Rong refused to let Luan Bao enter the Document Repository, took the key from him, and sent him flying as Ruan Fengshan arrived carrying the wounded Luan Jingfu.

Duan Rong uncovered corruption in the Yuan Shun Escort Agency, then helped Shen Yanliu expose Wei Yutian’s Filthy Blood rites and rescue Xiao Yu. The investigation turned toward Luan Jingfu and Ruan Fengshan as the sect’s county branch came under threat.

• Duan Rong exposed the agency’s accounting fraud, and Ruan Fengshan appointed Xu Fuxian to investigate while Xu Shouxian died by Luan Bao’s hand.
• Ruan Fengshan buried the accusations, named Xu Fuxian chief accountant, and awarded Duan Rong and Xiao Yu places in Taiyi Sect’s Registered Disciple selection.
• Wei Yutian and Luan Jingfu performed a Five Manifestations God ritual that killed two captive girls, then plotted to abduct Xiao Yu.
• Wei Yutian abducted Xiao Yu, but Duan Rong traced her to a secret chamber and brought Su Di to Shen Yanliu as evidence of Wei Yutian’s sect ties.
• Shen Yanliu raided Wei Yutian’s residence while Duan Rong killed Bai Ai and Pei Qing, rescued Xiao Yu, and helped drive Wei Yutian into flight.
• Shen Yanliu captured and killed Wei Yutian, who revealed his connection to Luan Jingfu, while Duan Rong deduced that Ruan Fengshan was the branch Helm Master.
• The Temple Keeper sent a warning to Jiuzhong County, and Shen Yanliu destroyed Luan Bao’s Dantian before riding toward Tanghe County to pursue Luan Jingfu.

After the Filthy Blood Sect stronghold was exposed, Duan Rong avoided official recognition while investigating the strange skill within him and preparing for the Taiyi Sect assessment. He became a Registered Disciple, while Jie Daohan and the Filthy Blood Sect began investigating him.

• Yu Lieting and Xiao Nan killed Luan Jingfu, and Shen Yanliu returned to Xiangu County with the bodies of Luan Jingfu and Sun Huang as evidence.
• Duan Rong refused Shen Yanliu’s merit token, while the yamen publicly credited Shen Yanliu with crushing the Filthy Blood Sect stronghold and delivered Sun Huang’s body to Liu Eying.
• Yang Zhen discovered Duan Rong’s cultivation and Taiyi Sect registration, then tested him in a spar before the two parted with their former closeness diminished.
• Duan Rong used Sun Huang’s appearance to frighten off Wang Chun and two pickpockets, then investigated the Filthy Blood Divine Skill and found its bloodlight recoiled from the Garbha Sutra’s celestial bodies.
• Duan Rong and Xiao Yu trained for the Registered Disciple assessment, where Duan Rong defeated his opponents and qualified directly while Xiao Yu advanced to the challenge rounds.
• Shen Mizhi broke through to Major Accomplishment and killed Fan Baolong, while Shen Yanliu crippled Fan Cen after he confronted her.
• Xiao Yu defeated Qiu Tong and fought Luo Zhoucheng until Duan Rong secretly drugged Luo, helping her secure a Registered Disciple place, and Gui Zong and Jiang Qingyu won the final two places.
• Jie Daohan linked Duan Rong to Yang Zhen, Xu Ruhu’s case, and the Corpse Rot Poison but hesitated to act, while Xu Dongyang sent a report about the Sect Envoys and new Registered Disciples to the Filthy Blood Sect branch.

Duan Rong cultivated in the wilderness, killed Jie Daohan, and left Xiangu County for Taiyi Sect as suspicion gathered around him. The Filthy Blood Sect ambushed the travelers, scattering them through a bloody battle that ended with Fan Yuanhai finding Duan Rong near the Dilapidated Temple.

• Duan Rong cultivated the Garbha Sutra at Wild Boar Mountain, mastered the Great Perfection Realm in several martial arts, and killed Jie Daohan at Wild Lake after luring him into an ambush.
• Duan Rong drugged Yang Zhen and hid him in Jie Lei’s secret chamber, then prepared to leave Xiangu County while Fan Yuanhai investigated Jie Daohan’s murder and Yang Zhen’s disappearance.
• As the Taiyi Sect travelers departed, Xia Shuangshuang attacked Xi Men Kan Kan, and Fan Yuanhai pursued clues linking Duan Rong to the earlier murders.
• Ge Qingchuan organized a Filthy Blood Sect ambush that destroyed the travelers’ carriage, while Duan Rong killed the fortune teller who chased him into a Dilapidated Temple.
• Duan Rong hid in a jar as the old farmer killed Tao Rong and helped Wuxiang attack Lü Qingzhu, then emerged to fight alongside Lü Qingzhu and defeat both attackers.
• An aphrodisiac released during the fight overcame Duan Rong and Lü Qingzhu, and Duan Rong’s Filthy Blood Divine Skill absorbed their Yuan Yin and Yuan Yang as he reached its second layer.
• A Mo killed several Filthy Blood Sect fighters and helped Xi Men Kan Kan and the others survive, while the scattered travelers mourned their dead and searched for Lü Qingzhu and Duan Rong.
• A Mo reunited with Lü Qingzhu near the temple, and Fan Yuanhai followed clues there until he found Duan Rong studying Lü Qingzhu’s bloodstained handkerchief.