Recaps

As Yi Yang descended the mountain with Zhao Xunge, the prayer bead taken from Xuanyi began filling with bloody light, suggesting a connection to Zhao Xunge or something he carried. Yi Yang returned to Lu Quanan with Zhao Xunge and used a story about a message from Xiao Zhengyan to signal that something was wrong; Lu Quanan understood and asked what the message was.

• Zhao Xunge invited Yi Yang to descend together, then questioned him about Mysterious Abyss, his achievements, and his rapid cultivation.
• While walking with Zhao Xunge, Yi Yang sensed the prayer bead from Xuanyi pulsing and discovered its bloody light had grown, leading him to suspect a connection to Zhao Xunge.
• Yi Yang claimed he had forgotten an urgent message from Xiao Zhengyan and said he needed to return to Lu Quanan.
• Zhao Xunge accompanied Yi Yang back to the main hall, where Lu Quanan recognized that Yi Yang's mention of the dead Xiao Zhengyan signaled trouble.
• Yi Yang told Lu Quanan that Xiao Zhengyan had asked him to pass something on, and Lu Quanan asked what it was.

Yi Yang exposed Zhao Xunge as being connected to the Nine Evil Sect with the Buddhist Prayer Bead. After Lu Quanan struck Zhao Xunge down, a monk escaped from his body, and Xu Yuhu and Lu Song identified him as Xuanding, whom they thought had died fifteen years earlier.

• Yi Yang noticed that the Buddhist Prayer Bead’s crimson color receded when he returned to the hall, confirming that it reacted to Zhao Xunge.
• Yi Yang told the others that Xiao Zhengyan had warned him something was wrong with Zhao Xunge, who protested and tried to leave.
• Yi Yang threw the Buddhist Prayer Bead toward Zhao Xunge, and it turned completely blood-red when it touched his sleeve.
• Zhao Xunge shattered the bead and attacked Xu Yuhu and Lu Song before trying to flee, but Yi Yang cut through his fly whisk and Lu Quanan struck him from behind.
• A blood-red figure escaped from Zhao Xunge’s exploding body, and Xu Yuhu and Lu Song recognized the monk as Xuanding, whom they believed had died fifteen years earlier.

Lu Quanan defeated and killed Yin Xi, the Nine Evil Sect elder who had possessed Xuanding’s body, revealing himself as a Profound Connection Realm expert. After the battle, Xu Yuhu explained how he had mistaken Xuanding for dead years earlier and revealed that Xuanding had been Abbot Xuanyi’s biological son.

• Yin Xi fled Xu Yuhu’s hall in Xuanding’s body, but Lu Quanan pursued him and blocked his escape above the rear mountain.
• Xu Yuhu recognized Yin Xi as a Nine Evil Sect elder rather than the real Xuanding, and Lu Quanan overwhelmed his bloodflame techniques with his own power.
• Yin Xi unleashed his Flame Demon Body, blood sea, and Heartflame Blood Sword, but Lu Quanan broke his attacks and killed him with a single palm strike.
• Xu Yuhu told Yi Yang that he had wounded Xuanding years earlier after Xuanding demanded the Xuannian Stone, and that he had mistakenly believed Xuanding died.
• Xu Yuhu revealed that Xuanding was Abbot Xuanyi’s biological son, and Lu Quanan returned to the hall.

After the battle at Profound Sword Pavilion, Lu Quanan ordered Golden Sun Temple sealed and placed the damaged sect under protection while Yi Yang uncovered Zhao Xunge’s hidden Storage Jade Pendant and found a way to briefly restore He Dingbo’s clarity. That night, Yi Yang refined Monster Cores and True Pills, but his cultivation was interrupted by an approaching aura.

• Lu Quanan ordered Golden Sun Temple sealed, put Profound Sword Pavilion under Heaven Patrol Office protection, and assigned someone to report Zhao Xunge’s death to Cangwu Mountain.
• Yi Yang searched Zhao Xunge’s remains, found a Storage Jade Pendant, and secretly kept it.
• Xu Min reported that twenty-seven Golden Sun Temple monks had been subdued, and Yi Yang used a Golden Prayer Bead fragment to briefly clear He Dingbo’s madness before ordering him handed over to Profound Sword Pavilion.
• Kongwu returned with Kongyue and the rescued disciples, learned of Xuanyi’s death, and began carrying the wounded through the ruins.
• Yi Yang cultivated in a guest room by refining two Monster Cores and eight True Pills, then sensed an aura approaching within a hundred zhang.

Chief Inspector Lu Quanan explained how Yin Xi survived his defeat, took over Xuanding’s body, and orchestrated Golden Sun Temple’s assault on the Profound Sword Pavilion. He left Yi Yang with the full account and a hint that he might have an assignment for him.

• Lu Quanan told Yi Yang that he had investigated Golden Sun Temple’s Demon-Sealing Cavern and traced the temple’s fall to Xuanyi and Xuanding.
• Lu Quanan revealed that he had severely wounded Yin Xi in White Dragon Marsh over a decade earlier, after which Yin Xi was imprisoned at Golden Sun Temple.
• Lu Quanan explained that Xuanyi kept Yin Xi alive so Xuanding could use the Prajna Demon-Subduing Heart Sutra to convert him and restore his ruined cultivation.
• Lu Quanan said Yin Xi secretly dissolved his flesh, will, and divine soul into Xuanding until he took over Xuanding’s body, while Xuanyi mistakenly believed the conversion was succeeding.
• Lu Quanan revealed that Xuanyi sacrificed monks in an attempt to suppress Yin Xi, but Yin Xi eventually took control of Xuanyi and Golden Sun Temple’s leadership.
• Lu Quanan explained that Yin Xi arranged the beast tide to draw him away from the Prefectural City before attacking the Profound Sword Pavilion for the Xuannian Stone, and Yi Yang asked whether Lu Quanan had an assignment for him.

Lu Quanan gave Yi Yang the Xuannian Stone and explained the five realms of Divine Sense, revealing that Yi Yang was close to Illusion-Breaking. He hinted that someone Yi Yang knew had left a trace of Heavenly Might, but the chapter ended before he named them.

• Lu Quanan told Yi Yang he would need his help with a future task, but that Yi Yang was not yet strong enough and the time had not come.
• Lu Quanan offered Yi Yang the Xuannian Stone, whose immense, pure energy drew a powerful reaction from the Golden-Furred Ape in Yi Yang’s Sea of Consciousness.
• Lu Quanan recognized Yi Yang’s Heart Ape Mind Guarding Art and said Yi Yang’s Divine Sense had nearly reached Illusion-Breaking.
• Lu Quanan described the five Divine Sense realms: Self-Observation, Illusion-Breaking, Spirit-Seizing, Heavenly Might, and Sacred Domain.
• Yi Yang accepted the Xuannian Stone, and Lu Quanan revealed he had seen a trace of Heavenly Might left by someone Yi Yang knew.

Lu Quanan told Yi Yang how Pineclear Daoist founded the Wood-Nurturing Longevity Art and revealed the traces of his power in Clawscale Abyss. After Lu Quanan left, he reassured Yi Yang about Yan Wuyuan’s safety but hinted at her hidden status, and Yi Yang turned to refining the Xuannian Stone.

• Lu Quanan revealed that he and Yi Yang practiced the Wood-Nurturing Longevity Art, which Pineclear Daoist had taught Lu Quanan's grandfather, Lu Sanjin, three hundred years earlier.
• Lu Quanan recounted how he cultivated the art, destroyed the City Lord's Manor, and became Chief Inspector after reaching the true astral realm.
• Lu Quanan told Yi Yang that he had found Pineclear Daoist's lingering aura in Clawscale Abyss, where even Lu Quanan could remain only briefly.
• Lu Quanan said few people in Qing Province City would dare harm Yan Wuyuan, implying that her status was unusual, then left Yi Yang with the unanswered question.
• Yi Yang secured the room and took out the Xuannian Stone to refine it.

Yi Yang used the Xuannian Stone to break through to the Second Divine Sense Realm and awakened a talent that let him cultivate in dreams, but his first dream fight against Lu Quanan ended in a single blow. At the Judgment Hall, Pei Zongyue apologized for his past handling of Xiao Zhengyan and Zhou Yang’s case and offered Yi Yang a century-old black ginseng, leaving Yi Yang with new resources to pursue True Astral Perfection.

• Yi Yang used the Xuannian Stone to shatter the barrier in his Sea of Consciousness, reach the Second Divine Sense Realm, and awaken the Heart Follows Dream Immortal talent.
• Yi Yang entered a dream to test himself against a simulated Lu Quanan, but Lu Quanan defeated him before he could draw Mysterious Abyss, leaving him unable to sleep.
• Yi Yang instructed Xu Min to help the Profound Sword Pavilion handle the aftermath, then traveled alone to the Prefectural City.
• Pei Zongyue acknowledged Yi Yang’s killing of Xuanyi and apologized for not supporting him firmly in the dispute involving Xiao Zhengyan and Zhou Yang.
• Pei Zongyue gave Yi Yang a century-old black ginseng as an apology and pledge of cooperation, and Yi Yang accepted it while considering how it could help him reach True Astral Perfection.

Yi Yang returned to Suining Prefecture and reunited with Jiang Yuexin, bringing her gifts and testing her rapidly improving swordsmanship. He left dinner thinking she needed a suitable advanced cultivation art, possibly one Yan Wuyuan could find in Qing Province.

• Yi Yang bought Jiang Yuexin a treasure artifact sword called Falling Blossoms, along with other gifts and candied hawthorns.
• Yi Yang found Jiang Yuexin training with Liu Qing and learned she had reached the first inner qi level.
• Yi Yang sparred with Jiang Yuexin and was impressed by her adaptable fighting instincts, then reassured her that he could handle the dangers he faced.
• Jiang Yuexin cooked dinner for Yi Yang, who considered asking Yan Wuyuan to help find a suitable advanced cultivation art for her.

Yi Yang discovered a sinister three-headed idol hidden in Zhao Xunge’s Storage Jade Pendant and resisted the Spiritblood True God’s attempt to enslave him. After sealing the idol away, he prepared to advance toward True Astral Realm Completion.

• Yi Yang counted his spirit crystals and other gains, then discovered a dark-gold box concealed inside Zhao Xunge’s Storage Jade Pendant.
• Yi Yang opened the box and saw a three-headed, six-armed idol submerged in pale-gold blood; its eyes opened and the Spiritblood True God ordered him to kneel and accept its power.
• Yi Yang resisted the idol’s temptation by recalling his resolve and Jiang Yuexin’s suffering, then used his Illusion-Breaking divine sense to crush the voice and shut the box.
• Yi Yang hid the box deep in his Bronze Ring and spent an hour calming himself, suspecting that the Spiritblood True God was tied to the deeper secrets of the Nine Evil Sect.
• Yi Yang took out Pei Zongyue’s century-old dark ginseng root and an unrefined Monster Core, resolving to reach True Astral Realm Completion.

After fifteen days of secluded cultivation, Yi Yang broke through to True Astral Realm Completion and discovered his lifespan had increased to 180 years. He went to the Judgment Hall to meet Ji Yunzhang and Wen Shiheng, where he sensed an unfamiliar late true astral expert.

• Yi Yang used his cultivation resources to reach the limit of late true astral, then overcame the four hurdles of his breakthrough and controlled a nascent dharma body.
• Yi Yang's panel showed True Astral Realm Completion and a lifespan of 180 years, which he attributed to the Wood-Nurturing Longevity Art.
• Yi Yang emerged from seclusion and told Jiang Yuexin he had broken through; she said Ji Yunzhang and Wen Shiheng had visited while he was away.
• Yi Yang ate, changed into his Commander's uniform, and headed to the Judgment Hall to meet Ji Yunzhang and Wen Shiheng.
• Yi Yang sensed both men in the side hall and detected an unfamiliar late true astral aura whose cultivation method matched neither the Heaven Patrol Office nor the Three Great Sects.

Yi Yang met Suiyuan Merchant Guild Chairman Lin He, who hosted him and offered him fifty spirit crystals as an apology for charging him for a sword. During the meal, Lin He revealed that the court might open border trade with the Southern Border Witch Kingdom and establish an office in Qing Province to oversee it.

• Yi Yang met Lin He, the wealthy chairman of the Suiyuan Merchant Guild, after emerging from seclusion at the Judgment Hall.
• Lin He hosted Yi Yang, Ji Yunzhang, and Wen Shiheng at Crane Tower, where Yi Yang learned that Lin owned both the restaurant and the Spirit Treasure Pavilion.
• Lin He apologized for charging Yi Yang for Falling Blossoms and gave him a box containing fifty spirit crystals.
• Wen Shiheng told Yi Yang that his earlier visits concerned Lin He, who then shared a rumor from Qing Province about the court's plans for border trade with the Southern Border Witch Kingdom.

Yi Yang learned that Great Yu and the Southern Border Witch Kingdom were preparing to establish border trade through three strongholds in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains. He recognized that the dangerous assignment could draw him into a struggle among the court, Qing Province, and the Witch Kingdom, but also offer valuable opportunities.

• Lin He explained that unrest in the Witch Kingdom and disasters, financial strain, and political infighting in Great Yu had pushed both sides toward opening trade.
• Lin He revealed that the court planned to build the Crossing Peak, Dark Abyss, and Ten Thousand Demons strongholds, and that it might recruit Heaven Patrol Office personnel from Qing Province's prefectures and counties.
• Lin He asked Yi Yang, Ji Yunzhang, and Wen Shiheng to support his business if they were assigned to the strongholds, but Yi Yang made no promise.
• After the gathering, Yi Yang warned Ji Yunzhang and Wen Shiheng that the strongholds would be perilous and contested, then said he would consider whether to go.

Yi Yang used [Heart Follows Dream Immortal] to practice two new forms of the Four Symbols Six Directions Saber and discovered that the dream improved his training efficiency. Meanwhile, Venerable Blood Mirage learned that Yin Xi had died and sent Blood Butcher to Suining Prefecture to target Lu Quanan, Yi Yang, and the Heaven Patrol Office.

• Yi Yang reviewed his martial arts in the dream and decided that his offensive techniques needed more variety.
• Yi Yang practiced Vermilion Bird Burns the Flame and White Tiger Howls at the Moon until he reached initiation in both forms.
• Yi Yang realized that cultivation in the dream improved his understanding and control by at least thirty percent.
• Venerable Blood Mirage learned that Yin Xi's Life-Soul Jade Tablet had shattered and ordered an investigation into his death.
• A black-robed subordinate reported that Lu Quanan had killed Yin Xi and that Yi Yang had disrupted the Nine Evil Sect's plans.
• Venerable Blood Mirage ordered Blood Butcher to go to Suining Prefecture, test Lu Quanan's strength, and kill him and Yi Yang if possible.

Lu Quanan told Yi Yang that he had been conscripted as Suining Prefectural City's sole representative to Qing Province's new Trade and Commerce Office, thanks to Yan Wuyuan's intervention. He explained the Hidden Dragon Ranking and warned Yi Yang that his rapid cultivation would draw attention in Qing Province, telling him to use Lu Quanan's name if questioned.

• Lu Quanan informed Yi Yang that Qing Province was establishing a Trade and Commerce Office to oversee trade with the Southern Border Witch Kingdom and that Yi Yang alone had been conscripted from Suining Prefectural City.
• Lu Quanan explained that someone in Qing Province had secured Yi Yang's place, and Yi Yang realized Yan Wuyuan had helped him.
• Lu Quanan described the Hidden Dragon Ranking, its three hundred and sixty Profound Connection Realm experts, and the status and resources it brought them.
• Lu Quanan recognized that Yi Yang had reached true astral perfection and warned that his rapid progress could attract scrutiny in Qing Province.
• Lu Quanan told Yi Yang to give his name if anyone questioned his cultivation.

Lu Quanan explained the dangers, factions, and unsettled command of the three strongholds in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains to Yi Yang, who realized his current strength was insufficient for Qing Province. Yi Yang resolved to reach the Profound Connection Realm before his transfer orders arrived.

• Lu Quanan offered Yi Yang permission to use his name, except when dealing with a Grandmaster.
• Lu Quanan described the costly clearing of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains and the powerful demons still living there.
• Lu Quanan explained that Qing Province’s powers, the Imperial City, and the Southern Border Witch Kingdom were contesting positions and spoils in the three strongholds.
• Lu Quanan told Yi Yang that Jiang Zhongtian, ranked two hundred and seventy-eighth on Great Yu’s Hidden Dragon Ranking, oversaw Crossing Peak Town as Deputy Garrison Commissioner.
• Yi Yang judged that his advantages would not be enough in Qing Province and resolved to break through to the Profound Connection Realm.
• Lu Quanan told Yi Yang to cultivate, settle his affairs in Suining Prefecture, and await the official transfer orders.

After completing his body-tempering breakthrough, Yi Yang learned he had been conscripted to travel to the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains with the Windbreath Cavalry. He arranged for Qi Shujian to take over the Pacification Guard and prepared to part from Jiang Yuexin, who would return to Qingzhou City with Liu Qing.

• Yi Yang absorbed the last of the blood river flower’s medicinal power, tempering his body until his Martial Extreme Dragon Elephant Body reached major accomplishment.
• Blood Butcher arrived near Suining Prefecture to kill Yi Yang, while news of the Trade and Commerce Office drew countless people toward the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains.
• He Ming led fifty Windbreath Cavalry soldiers into Suining Prefecture and delivered the conscription order requiring Yi Yang to leave in three days.
• Yi Yang recommended Qi Shujian to succeed him as Pacification Guard Commander, and Lu Quanan approved the appointment.
• Yi Yang read Yan Wuyuan’s letter directing Liu Qing to take Jiang Yuexin back to Qingzhou City, and he reassured Yuexin before leaving to arrange the handover.

Yi Yang gave Xu Min an Astral Condensation Pill, brought him and thirty Pacification Guards along with the Windbreath Cavalry toward Qing Province, and was followed by the assassin Blood Butcher. As Blood Butcher prepared an ambush, an unseen assailant seized him from behind.

• Yi Yang saw that Xu Min had broken through to the true astral realm after taking the Astral Condensation Pill and told him to stabilize his cultivation.
• Yi Yang ordered Xu Min to choose thirty trustworthy Pacification Guards for the journey to Qing Province, and the men swore to follow Yi Yang.
• Yi Yang and the thirty guards joined He Ming's fifty Windbreath Cavalry riders and set out toward Qingzhou City.
• Blood Butcher watched the party leave Suining Prefecture and secretly followed them, planning to kill Yi Yang on the road.
• Blood Butcher moved toward his chosen ambush site, but an unseen hand suddenly seized the back of his head.

Lu Quanan killed the Nine Evil Sect assassin Blood Butcher before Yi Yang's party reached Heyu County. There, Yi Yang agreed to travel with another Windbreath Cavalry unit and its Evil Punishment Office escort, whose deputy chief inspector questioned Suining's Pacification Guard.

• Lu Quanan subdued Blood Butcher with vines and crushed him to death, then took his storage ring.
• Yi Yang sensed a terrifying aura near Suining Prefectural City but trusted Lu Quanan to handle any danger.
• After five days on the road, Yi Yang's party reached Heyu County and met Banner Commander He’s unit from Green Canal Prefecture.
• Yi Yang agreed to join the other unit for the journey and to stop in Heyu County for the night.
• Meng Kuo scrutinized Suining's Pacification Guard and made pointed remarks about its efforts against the Nine Evil Sect, while Yi Yang replied mildly.

Yi Yang and his Pacification Guards reached Heyu County and clashed with Xie Tinglan of Bamboo Creek Gate, who despised the Heaven Patrol Office. As Xie drew her sword, He Ming intervened and warned her not to obstruct Qing Province’s conscription mission.

• Yi Yang’s party arrived at Mountainview Inn, where they encountered Xie Tinglan and her Bamboo Creek Gate disciples.
• Xie Tinglan insulted Yi Yang and the Pacification Guards, and Xu Min rose to confront her under Yi Yang’s signal.
• Xie pressured Yi Yang’s table with her true astral realm aura, but Yi Yang remained unmoved and taunted her.
• Xie drew her Flexible Sword, while Meng Kuo disavowed any connection to Yi Yang’s group and withdrew from the dispute.
• He Ming stepped between the groups and warned Xie that interfering with the conscription mission could make Bamboo Creek Gate answer to Qing Province.

After Xie Tinglan ended her confrontation with Yi Yang, He Ming explained why she hated the Pacification Guard and warned that she might seek secret revenge. He also gave Yi Yang Wensi Pavilion’s Heroes Ranking, which revealed his standing among the summoned experts and sharpened his focus on reaching the Profound Connection Realm.

• Xie Tinglan withdrew after Yi Yang invoked Qing Province’s mobilization and the Trade and Commerce Office’s plans.
• He Ming told Yi Yang how Xie Tinglan had been deceived by a Pacification Guard Commander, denied justice, and later avenged herself after the Bamboo Creek Gate gained power.
• He Ming warned Yi Yang that Xie Tinglan could still target him in secret, then gave him Wensi Pavilion’s Heroes Ranking.
• Yi Yang found himself ranked fifty-eighth, reviewed Pei Jin’s first-place record and Xie Tinglan’s thirty-second-place entry, and noticed that no Profound Connection Realm experts appeared in the booklet.
• Yi Yang decided to investigate the separate Profound Connection Realm ranking in Qing Province and continued refining his saber techniques through his [Heart Follows Dream Immortal] talent.

Xu Min clashed with Lin Qiao'er after she insulted the Pacification Guards, but her refined swordsmanship overwhelmed him before He Ming and Banner Commander He stopped the fight. Yi Yang continued toward Qingzhou City with the Windbreath Cavalry, learning that growing tensions between the sects, the Heaven Patrol Office, and the military could make his journey difficult.

• Lin Qiao'er mocked Xu Min and the Pacification Guards, provoking Xu Min into attacking her.
• Lin Qiao'er used her flexible sword to wound Xu Min and gain the upper hand as the two groups drew weapons.
• He Ming and Banner Commander He suppressed the confrontation, and Xie Tinglan reprimanded Lin Qiao'er before ordering her to serve at the rear of the party.
• The Windbreath Cavalry escorted Yi Yang and his party out of Heyu County, while Lin Qiao'er and the Bamboo Creek Gate party followed an hour later.
• He Ming and Banner Commander He told Yi Yang that sects had grown bolder and that tensions between martial factions and the military were rising.
• Yi Yang weighed the conflicts awaiting him in Qing Province as the party resumed its journey toward Qingzhou City.

Yi Yang’s convoy reached Qingzhou City, where he witnessed the provincial capital’s immense scale and the arrival of a delegation from the Southern Border Witch Kingdom. Mu Yanluo sensed an overwhelming force when she met Yi Yang’s gaze, while Yi Yang realized her mental power was unusually strong, and both parties moved on without speaking.

• Yi Yang’s convoy pushed through crowded roads toward Qing Province, and Xu Min told Yi Yang that the Heroes Ranking placed him fifty-eighth.
• After eight days of travel, He Ming brought the convoy to Qingzhou City and warned Yi Yang’s Pacification Guards to obey its rules.
• Yi Yang and his men entered Qingzhou City, marveling at its massive walls, bustling streets, and abundant shops.
• A delegation from the Southern Border Witch Kingdom entered the city, and He Ming identified them as foreign envoys.
• Mu Yanluo met Yi Yang’s gaze and nearly fell from her wolf after feeling his divine sense; Yi Yang noticed her unusually powerful mental perception before following He Ming’s convoy away.

Yi Yang and Meng Kuo arrived at the Qing Province Heaven Patrol Office, where Chief Inspector Yao Ju showed them the Ninefold Hall and assigned them guest rooms until their appointments were decided. Meanwhile, Wu Ge accepted Great Yu’s trade terms for the Shaman Kingdom, hoping the trade route would secure supplies and allies as unrest grew at home.

• Yi Yang and Meng Kuo presented their Command Tokens at the Ninefold Palace and waited to be received.
• Yao Ju introduced himself as Chief Inspector of the Judgment Hall, explained the hierarchy of the Ninefold Hall, and warned that the upper six halls were restricted to powerful cultivators.
• Yao Ju directed Yi Yang and Meng Kuo to guest rooms and told them not to wander until the Trade and Commerce Office issued appointment lists.
• Wu Ge asked Great Yu’s official for a larger share of tax revenue and broader trade permissions, but the official insisted on the court’s terms.
• Mu Yanluo questioned Wu Ge about accepting Great Yu’s seventy-percent share, and he explained that the Shaman Kingdom needed grain and iron to prevent rebellion as threats stirred beneath sealed grounds.
• Wu Ge told Mu Yanluo that opening the trade route could also help them find allies in Great Yu.

Xu Min reported on Qing Province’s powerful lineages, government office, and sects, while Yi Yang considered the unclear balance of power in Qingzhou City. After ten days of seclusion, Yi Yang accepted Lin He’s invitation to meet top-ranked experts before their journey to the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains.

• Xu Min told Yi Yang that Qingzhou City’s leading powers were the Azure Jade Divine General Lineage, the Qing Province Heaven Patrol Office, the Heavenly Heart Sect, and Ten Thousand Swords Valley, with four major merchant lineages entwined among them.
• Yi Yang and his party remained in their courtyard for ten days while Yi Yang cultivated and practiced his saber techniques.
• Xu Min caught Pacification Guards who had secretly visited pleasure houses and ordered each of them to receive twenty strokes.
• Lin He visited Yi Yang with pastries and invited him to a gathering of Heroes Ranking experts at the Moon-Gazing Tower.
• Yi Yang accepted Lin He’s invitation to meet the experts who might travel with him to the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains.