Chapter Summaries

Yi Yang visited the Sword Transformation Alliance and questioned its leader, Shen Kongming, while gauging his reactions to several topics. Shen Kongming’s response to Commander Ding’s name suggested he knew something about Ding’s death, but Yi Yang left without confronting him directly.

• Yi Yang entered the Sword Transformation Alliance and used his mental power to map its people, hidden sentries, and exits.
• Shen Kongming welcomed Yi Yang and asked whether he had come to send a message to the Profound Sword Pavilion; Yi Yang said he was simply exploring the eastern district.
• Yi Yang mentioned the Beast Calamity in Donglai County, and Shen Kongming’s finger briefly curled against his sword hilt when Yi Yang named the Ten Thousand Beast Mountains.
• Yi Yang asked Shen Kongming about Xu Yu’s swordsmanship, prompting Shen Kongming to explain how the Sword Transformation Alliance’s teachings differed from the Profound Sword Pavilion’s.
• When Yi Yang mentioned Commander Ding, Shen Kongming’s grip tightened and his heartbeat quickened, leading Yi Yang to suspect he knew something about Ding’s death.
• Shen Kongming invited Yi Yang to the alliance’s monthly Sword Discussion Gathering, and Yi Yang left without accepting or refusing.

Yi Yang investigated the supposed site of Ding Xiang’s death on Clearwind Ridge and found no evidence of a fight, then discovered a concealed temple filled with armed monks. After watching the temple, he saw its third inner qi abbot enter a room and inexplicably vanish, leaving Yi Yang wary that the mystery was deeper than he expected.

• Yi Yang searched the slope where Ding Xiang was said to have died and concluded the killing had happened elsewhere because the ground showed no signs of combat.
• Yi Yang discovered a concealed temple called Benevolent Temple on a nearby hill and found fourteen martial-artist monks inside.
• Yi Yang hid outside the temple and overheard monks mention that their abbot had gone down the mountain and that a storeroom of medicinal herbs was locked.
• Yi Yang watched the abbot return after dark with two monks and a chest, then enter a room in the rear courtyard alone.
• Yi Yang entered the courtyard and found the abbot’s room empty despite having heard the door close moments earlier.

Yi Yang discovered that the Benevolent Temple’s abbot used a hidden underground passage to store a black bundle and disguise himself as an herb merchant. Suspecting the temple was connected to Ding Xiang’s murder, Yi Yang waited for the abbot to leave, opened the passage, and descended into the darkness.

• Yi Yang searched the abbot’s room and waited on the roof until the oil lamp opened a concealed stairway and the abbot emerged with a black bundle.
• Yi Yang watched the abbot hide the bundle, close the passage, and sleep with a poisoned blade beneath his pillow.
• The abbot disguised himself as an herb merchant, mentioned something from a year ago and the new Pacification Guard Commander, then left by the western slope with the bundle.
• Yi Yang concluded that the Benevolent Temple was a long-running transfer station connected to Ding Xiang’s case and chose not to pursue the abbot.
• After the abbot’s aura left sensing range, Yi Yang opened the secret passage, took Mysterious Abyss, and descended into the darkness.

Yi Yang infiltrated the Benevolent Temple and discovered a long-established Nine Evil Sect stronghold guarded by several True Astral Realm experts, including one at late True Astral. Realizing he could not face them alone, he escaped and concluded the stronghold might be connected to Ding Xiang’s death, leaving to return to the Prefectural City while wondering who the powerful expert was.

• Yi Yang descended through the concealed passage and found a vast underground hall with blood-oil lamps, a Nine Evil Sect Altar Emblem, and shackles marked by dried blood and skin.
• Yi Yang sensed several True Astral Realm experts cultivating behind three concealed doors, including one whose aura was at late True Astral, and realized he had entered a stronghold he could not defeat alone.
• Yi Yang quietly retraced his steps, erased the traces he had left in the abbot’s room, and slipped out of the Benevolent Temple without alerting the thirteen chanting monks.
• Yi Yang reviewed the clues outside the temple and suspected that someone had lured Ding Xiang to the stronghold at Clearwind Ridge, where the Nine Evil Sect had killed him.
• Yi Yang decided to return to the Prefectural City and continued wondering who the late True Astral expert beneath the Benevolent Temple was.

Yi Yang learned that three Patrol Directors from the Evil Punishment Office had sold his travel information to the Rampage Six Bandits, who had ambushed him six months earlier. As Yi Yang considered how to punish them, Xiao Zhengyan arrived and insisted that the Evil Punishment Office’s internal military law take precedence.

• Yi Yang postponed seeking Yan Wuyuan and went to meet Pei Zongyue after learning that the Judgment Hall had found those who leaked his movements.
• Pei Zongyue showed Yi Yang evidence that Zhou Yang, Meng Qiming, and Zhao Hongyuan had sold his travel information to an outside broker, enabling the Rampage Six Bandits’ ambush.
• Pei Zongyue offered to execute the three secretly or hand them over to Yi Yang, who considered using their punishment to establish his authority as Pacification Guard Commander.
• Xiao Zhengyan entered the side hall and demanded to know why the three Patrol Directors had been arrested without his knowledge.
• After Pei Zongyue explained the evidence and the men’s betrayal of Yi Yang, Xiao Zhengyan said the Evil Punishment Office should first punish them under its internal military law before handing them to the Judgment Hall.

Yi Yang resisted Xiao Zhengyan’s demand to return three Evil Punishment Office Patrol Directors, but agreed to delay their sentencing while he pursued Ding Xiang’s unsolved murder. He left determined to solve the case, and Pei Zongyue wondered whether Yi Yang had already uncovered something.

• Xiao Zhengyan confronted Yi Yang over the Judgment Hall arresting Zhou Yang, Meng Qiming, and Zhao Hongyuan without consulting the Evil Punishment Office.
• Xiao Zhengyan recounted his years of service and argued that the three Patrol Directors belonged under his office’s jurisdiction, while Yi Yang kept his knowledge of the Benevolent Temple and Ding Xiang’s murder secret.
• Yi Yang agreed to investigate Ding Xiang’s case, and Pei Zongyue proposed keeping the three men in the Judgment Hall’s custody until the case and leak were resolved.
• Xiao Zhengyan accepted the compromise and left with the two Patrol Guards.
• Yi Yang inspected the three Command Tokens and said he would leave the three men alive for now before setting out to solve Ding Xiang’s case.
• Pei Zongyue wondered whether Yi Yang had uncovered something.

Yi Yang told Yan Wuyuan that the Benevolent Temple at Clearwind Ridge concealed a Nine Evil Sect altar guarded by three True Astral experts, and they planned a raid to avenge Ding Xiang and expose the sect’s informants. The strike was set for midnight in three days, while Yi Yang also learned that Yuexin was close to reaching the first inner qi level.

• Yi Yang left the Judgment Hall and went to the Nether Spring Office to report the hidden altar beneath the Benevolent Temple at Clearwind Ridge.
• Yi Yang showed Yan Wuyuan his sketch and explained that three True Astral experts guarded the altar, while evidence suggested Ding Xiang had been killed elsewhere and his body moved.
• Yan Wuyuan deduced that a high-ranking Heaven Patrol Office insider had been informing the Nine Evil Sect and arranged a raid for midnight in three days.
• Yan Wuyuan assigned Yi Yang and Ning Xiong to face the two other Incense Masters while she dealt with the late True Astral expert and the Pacification Guard pinned down the remaining enemies.
• Yan Wuyuan warned Yi Yang that the raid could expose traitors across several offices and said she would kill even Xiao Zhengyan if evidence proved his guilt.
• Yan Wuyuan told Yi Yang that Yuexin was nearing the first inner qi level and would train in the Beast Ridge Mountains after breaking through.

Yi Yang prepared to lead the Pacification Guard on a secret mission against the Benevolent Temple while strengthening his body with the Martial Extreme Dragon Elephant Body. As he ordered the squad leaders to gather at midnight, Ning Xiong remained suspicious of his motives and appeared ready to challenge him.

• Yi Yang planned to conceal the Benevolent Temple target while mobilizing Ning Xiong and the Pacification Guard for the Clearwind Ridge operation.
• Yi Yang ordered Ning Xiong to gather his men in three days without explaining the mission, deepening Ning Xiong's anger and distrust over Ding Xiang's case.
• Yi Yang checked Jiang Yuexin's cultivation and encouraged her to reach the sixth level before her practical training in the Beast Ridge Mountains.
• Yi Yang advanced the Martial Extreme Dragon Elephant Body to minor accomplishment, increasing his physical strength and resilience.
• Yi Yang summoned the Pacification Guard squad leaders to the meeting hall at midnight and ordered them to assemble with their finest men outside the camp in half an hour.
• Ning Xiong stepped forward as murmurs spread through the hall, appearing ready to challenge Yi Yang's vague orders.

Yi Yang quelled a challenge to his authority by crushing Qian Lie with sheer physical strength, then ordered the Pacification Guard to prepare for a dangerous mission. He revealed to Ning Xiong that the mission concerned Ding Xiang’s death, and the Guard set out after an hour.

• Qian Lie and several squad captains challenged Yi Yang for withholding the mission’s target, while Xu Min defended him.
• Yi Yang shattered Qian Lie’s shoulder, pinned him to the floor, and ordered the Seventh Squad to remain behind to guard the camp.
• Yi Yang used Secret Voice Transmission to tell Ning Xiong that the mission concerned Ding Xiang’s death, prompting Ning Xiong to support the orders.
• Yi Yang confirmed to Ning Xiong that he had found a lead but withheld details to prevent leaks.
• An hour later, Yi Yang led fifty black-armored Pacification Guards out of the camp.

Yi Yang led the Pacification Guard and Nether Spring Office in a coordinated assault on the Nine Evil Sect’s century-old stronghold beneath the Benevolent Temple. After finding the temple deserted and discovering its underground passage, Yi Yang and Yan Wuyuan prepared to descend together.

• Yan Wuyuan gave Yi Yang full command of the joint operation, and Yi Yang revealed that the Benevolent Temple concealed a Nine Evil Sect stronghold and that the raid would avenge Ding Xiang.
• Li Chen planned to leave Mo Huairen guarding the altar while he went to Donglai County to attack Ji Yunzhang or Wen Shiheng during the beast tide.
• Yi Yang’s forces silently surrounded the Benevolent Temple, then entered after finding its gates barred and the compound seemingly empty.
• Yi Yang caught a fleeing Nine Evil Sect member, broke his arms, and killed him after finding an open passage beneath the abbot’s room.
• Yi Yang rejected Ning Xiong’s plan to smoke out the underground occupants and agreed to scout the passage with Yan Wuyuan.

Yi Yang and Yan Wuyuan descended into the Nine Evil Sect's underground chamber, killed its guards, and discovered dozens of girls imprisoned as blood feed. After freeing them, they prepared to attack the sect members hidden behind the middle concealed door.

• Yi Yang ordered Ning Xiong to seal the exits and told Zhou Fangyu and Wei Chang Geng to ambush anyone fleeing the temple.
• Yi Yang and Yan Wuyuan descended into the underground passage and found two guards at an altar chamber.
• Yi Yang killed both guards with his fists and discovered dozens of captive girls in iron cages.
• A rescued girl told Yi Yang that the Nine Evil Sect's followers were cultivating behind the middle of three concealed doors.
• Yi Yang and Yan Wuyuan broke the locks and chains, freed the girls, and summoned Zhou Fangyu to escort them out.
• Yan Wuyuan refused to leave and joined Yi Yang in preparing to storm the concealed chambers.

Yi Yang and the Pacification Guards attacked the Nine Evil Sect’s stronghold, where Li Chen launched a needle ambush and summoned reinforcements. The battle spread through the hall as Yi Yang drew the Black Blade Mysterious Abyss and Ning Xiong trapped another Incense Master with the Twelve-Link Spear Formation.

• Ning Xiong recognized the underground hall as a Nine Evil Sect stronghold, while Li Chen and Mo Huairen discovered the Heaven Patrol Office’s invasion and activated their evacuation plan.
• Mo Huairen opened the western passage, rang the bronze bell, and sent followers to flee or reinforce Li Chen, who hid by the entrance and prepared an Astral Energy Needle ambush.
• Yi Yang blasted open the iron door, and Li Chen’s needles killed a Pacification Guard before Yan Wuyuan, Ning Xiong, and Yi Yang blocked the remaining attack.
• Yi Yang charged Li Chen and struck back with his astral force as more than fifty Nine Evil Sect followers poured into the hall.
• Yi Yang drew the Black Blade Mysterious Abyss and killed two followers with the Nine Peaks Saber, while Ning Xiong formed the Twelve-Link Spear Formation to fight a second Incense Master and his followers.

Yan Wuyuan killed a newly arrived Nine Evil Sect Incense Master while Yi Yang fought Li Chen through the underground stronghold. Just as Li Chen warned that Lord Blood Trace was returning, a masked late True Astral Realm expert emerged from the black iron doors.

• Yan Wuyuan killed the newly emerged Nine Evil Sect Incense Master with a single sword strike.
• Zhou Fangyu, Wei Chang Geng, Xu Min, and the Pacification Guards battled the cultists filling the hall.
• Yi Yang endured Li Chen's Blood Baleful Claw, wounded him with Mysterious Abyss, and cut down a scarred Altar Master who tried to ambush him.
• Yi Yang pressed his attack and drove the wounded Li Chen toward defeat, but Li Chen warned that Lord Blood Trace was on his way.
• The black iron doors opened, and a tall man wearing a Bronze Demon Mask and black-and-gold ritual robe emerged with overwhelming pressure.

Yan Wuyuan fought Wu Jiu and Blood Trace at once while Yi Yang turned the tide against Li Chen and the Wu Family experts. After killing Li Chen and one expert, Yi Yang saw Ning Xiong’s spear formation near collapse.

• Blood Trace and Wu Jiu emerged as Late True Astral experts, and Yan Wuyuan exposed Wu Jiu as a member of the Nine Evil Sect.
• Wu Jiu summoned two Wu Family Early True Astral deathsworn, while Yan Wuyuan used four true arts to fight Wu Jiu and Blood Trace simultaneously.
• Li Chen and a Wu Family expert attacked Yi Yang together as another Wu Family expert and the Incense Master pressured Ning Xiong’s spear formation.
• Yi Yang stunned the halberd-wielding expert with Thunderous Sound Mantra, then killed Li Chen with a saber strike.
• Yi Yang pursued and killed the fleeing Wu Family expert, then turned to find Ning Xiong’s formation close to breaking.

Yi Yang killed a Nine Evil Sect Incense Master and helped Pacification Guard forces turn the battle, while Yan Wuyuan revealed her Mystic Art sword technique and drove Wu Jiu and Blood Trace into retreat. Yi Yang, Yan Wuyuan, and Ning Xiong pursued the wounded leaders through a concealed passage.

• Yi Yang intercepted the Nine Evil Sect Incense Master's attack on Ning Xiong and killed the Incense Master with Azure Dragon Emerges from the Abyss.
• Yan Wuyuan unleashed Ten Thousand Blossoms Heavenly Light against Wu Jiu and Blood Trace, forcing them to use Blood-Burning Astral Sacrifice to reach true Astral Realm Completion.
• Wu Jiu and Blood Trace combined their attacks against Yan Wuyuan, then fled through a concealed door after she wounded them.
• Yi Yang killed the Wu Family death warrior and ordered Xu Min to oversee the capture of the remaining Nine Evil Sect followers.
• Yi Yang, Yan Wuyuan, and Ning Xiong entered the concealed passage to pursue Wu Jiu and Blood Trace.

Yi Yang and Ning Xiong pursued the wounded Blood Trace after he and Wu Jiu split up. Blood Trace lured Ning Xiong into an attack, killed him, and was revealed to bear Ding Xiang’s old scar, leaving Yi Yang facing the apparent truth that Blood Trace was Ning Xiong’s long-lost eldest brother.

• Yan Wuyuan confirmed that Wu Jiu and Blood Trace had fled in different directions, then went east after Wu Jiu while Yi Yang and Ning Xiong pursued Blood Trace north.
• Yi Yang warned Ning Xiong that Blood Trace’s worsening condition seemed like bait, but Ning Xiong charged ahead, driven by revenge for Ding Xiang.
• Blood Trace dodged Ning Xiong’s Blood-Piercing Rainbow Spear and killed him with a precise thrust using his cracked saber.
• Ning Xiong recognized the healed scar on Blood Trace’s hand as the wound he had treated on Ding Xiang and called him Eldest Brother before dying.

Yi Yang confronted Ding Xiang after the former Commander killed Ning Xiong and revealed why he had joined the Nine Evil Sect. The two began fighting in the forest, where Yi Yang blocked Ding Xiang’s concealed astral-force attack and faced his spear.

• Ding Xiang killed Ning Xiong with a spear-like saber thrust, and Yi Yang recognized him as the supposedly dead Commander.
• Ding Xiang took up Ning Xiong’s spear, revealed his former identity, and explained that he joined the Nine Evil Sect to escape a cultivation bottleneck and extend his life.
• Yi Yang deduced that Ding Xiang had faked his death because Chief Inspector Lu Quanan was close to discovering his evil cultivation.
• Ding Xiang launched a concealed burst of dark-red astral force at Yi Yang, who cut it apart with Mysterious Abyss.
• Ding Xiang raised his spear and pressed his late true astral killing intent against Yi Yang.

Yi Yang fought Ding Xiang through a prolonged spear-and-saber duel until Ding Xiang unleashed a soul attack. Yi Yang’s Heart Ape Mind Guarding Art reflected the attack, letting him kill Ding Xiang, and he closed Ning Xiong’s eyes beside the battlefield.

• Ding Xiang overwhelmed Yi Yang with a relentless spear assault, but Yi Yang read a brief opening and struck back before retreating.
• As they exchanged more blows, Ding Xiang realized his injuries were worsening and feared Yan Wuyuan would return, so he decided to end the fight quickly.
• Ding Xiang unleashed the Soul-Bone Blood Blade, but Yi Yang’s Heart Ape Mind Guarding Art shattered the attack and rebounded its fragments into Ding Xiang’s sea of consciousness.
• Ding Xiang’s soul backlash left him helpless, and Yi Yang killed him with Azure Dragon Emerges from the Abyss.
• Yi Yang recognized Ding Xiang from the Archive Hall records, then closed Ning Xiong’s eyes beside the dead commander.

After defeating the Nine Evil Sect stronghold, Yi Yang recovered evidence and treasures from Ding Xiang, mourned the fallen Pacification Guards, and secured the loyalty of his men. With Yan Wuyuan warning that the Wu Family would soon learn of its patriarch’s death, Yi Yang led his forces to raid the family estate.

• Yi Yang searched Ding Xiang’s corpse and took his Blood Trace Command Token, True Pills, Soul-Bone Blood Blade manual, and saber.
• Yan Wuyuan returned with Wu Jiu’s corpse, and Yi Yang told her that Ding Xiang had been Blood Trace and described how he had killed him.
• Yi Yang and Yan Wuyuan returned to Benevolent Temple, where they confirmed the Nine Evil Sect’s defeat and counted the casualties, including Ning Xiong and three other Pacification Guards.
• The Heaven Patrol Office forces seized the stronghold’s herbs, cultivation manuals, and equipment, and Yi Yang claimed a rune-engraved Bronze Ring while agreeing to split the spoils with Yan Wuyuan.
• Yi Yang honored the fallen and won the Pacification Guards’ allegiance; Yan Wuyuan warned him that the Wu Family would hear of Wu Jiu’s death.
• Yi Yang took command of the Nether Spring Office guards and led the assembled forces toward the Wu Family estate.

After Wu Jiu’s life tablet broke, Wu Rong realized the Wu Family’s ancestor had died and tried to evacuate his family through an underground tunnel. Yi Yang’s Pacification Guards surrounded the estate, and Yi Yang collapsed the tunnel from above, trapping Wu Rong and the others underground.

• Wu Rong saw Wu Jiu’s life tablet crack and break, concluded their ancestor was dead, and ordered the Wu Family to flee through a hidden passage toward the Qing Province Branch Hall.
• Yi Yang surrounded the Wu Family estate with Pacification Guards and Nether Spring Office Patrol Guards, then announced the charges against Wu Rong and the order to confiscate the estate.
• Qian Fu challenged the arrest, but Zhou Fangyu struck him down before he could finish speaking.
• Yi Yang tracked the fleeing group underground and stamped along the tunnel’s route, collapsing its passage as the Pacification Guards watched.
• The tunnel caved in ahead of Wu Rong, burying two stewards and plunging the passage into darkness.