Chapter Summaries

Li Chen and Wu Nanzhi investigated the white-haired holy maiden Wang Yueyao, whose unusual constitution might connect her to the Former Dynasty Remnants, before joining the Purple Firmament Heavenly Palace assembly. There, Venerable Youhen revealed that he had accepted resources from the Sasanian Dynasty and urged the sects to help its invasion, just as Li Chen challenged him to explain what the Empress had offered.

• Li Chen and Wu Nanzhi arrived at the Cloud-Net Mountains, where cultivators gathered for the opening of three valuable intermediate secret realms.
• Wu Nanzhi learned that the white-haired Wang Yueyao was the holy maiden of the Infinite God Sect and daughter of Wang Tengyue, whose family was suspected of harboring the Former Dynasty Remnants.
• Wang Yueyao invited Li Chen and Wu Nanzhi to explore a secret realm with her, but Li Chen declined because Wu Nanzhi could not enter; Wu Nanzhi accepted an invitation to visit Shanyin City.
• Li Chen and Wu Nanzhi returned to the assembly hall, where Venerable Youhen admitted that the Sasanian Dynasty had given him resources and would invade the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty.
• True Person Red Kite and High Person Clear Void rejected Venerable Youhen's proposal to aid the Sasanian Dynasty, but he pressured them to reconsider and promised rewards from the Empress.
• Li Chen's overbearing voice rang through the hall, demanding that Venerable Youhen explain what benefits the Empress had offered him.

Li Chen forced the sects gathered at the Purple Firmament Heavenly Palace to support the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s war against the Sasanian Dynasty, while Venerable Youhen submitted only reluctantly. News of the alliance alarmed the hidden sects in the east, as Li Xian sought a way into their ranks and battles spread across the dynasty; the chapter ended with Li Chen and Wu Nanzhi reaching Shanyin City with Wang Yueyao, who looked uneasy before entering.

• Li Chen intimidated Venerable Youhen and offered the assembled sects survival and rewards in exchange for supporting the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty against the Sasanian Dynasty.
• More than a hundred sects pledged their support, and Venerable Youhen agreed to serve Li Chen if the Supreme Hua Sword Sect’s legacy remained protected.
• After leaving the gathering, Venerable Youhen privately questioned how to handle his promise to the Sasanian Dynasty, while news of the alliance spread across the cultivation world.
• The Piaomiao Immortal Alliance convened its hidden sects, and Li Xian spotted a woman he hoped to use to gain entry into a hidden sect.
• The Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s Northern Army captured Ice Bear Tribe cities, Li Yu’s army attacked the Prince of the South, and Li Chen and Wu Nanzhi accompanied Wang Yueyao to Shanyin City.
• Wang Yueyao grew uneasy as the three approached Shanyin City.

Li Chen and Wu Nanzhi visited Wang Yueyao’s family estate, where Wang Yueyao’s mother revealed that the Wang Family had abducted women to produce Saint Body heirs. After the estate was attacked, Wang Yueyao and her mother fled with Li Chen and Wu Nanzhi, but Wang guards surrounded them in the forest; Li Chen killed the guards and hounds with golden swords.

• Wang Yueyao brought Li Chen and Wu Nanzhi to the Wang estate, where they met her mother and shared dinner.
• Whipping and a woman’s cries disturbed dinner, and Li Chen noticed that Wang Yueyao and her mother avoided discussing the estate.
• An explosion and fires erupted across the Wang estate, so Wang Yueyao led her mother, Li Chen, and Wu Nanzhi out through the rear gate.
• Wang Yueyao’s mother explained that the Wang Family had abducted women and used secret arts to produce Saint Body offspring, including Wang Yueyao.
• Wang guards and Demon Beast Hounds surrounded the fugitives in the forest, and the captain ordered his men to kill Li Chen and Wu Nanzhi.
• Li Chen killed the guards and hounds with golden longswords, and Wu Nanzhi told the stunned Wang Yueyao that Li Chen had reached the Saint Realm.

Li Chen rescued Wang Yueyao and several women from the Wang Family, then planned to use the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s authorities and nearby sects to destroy the family. As Wang Tengfeng learned of Li Chen’s campaign, Xiao Ming met Lin Mo in the Imperial Capital, while Tang Shan and Jiang Mo arrived there for separate reasons.

• Wang Yueyao asked Li Chen to take her and her mother east, but he declared that he would deal with the Wang Family because he was the emperor of the Li Imperial Family.
• Wu Nanzhi took the rescued women and Wang Yueyao to Shanghe City on Saint Tiger, where they told Li Chen how the Wang Family had destroyed their families and abducted them.
• Li Chen told Lin Yue'e to recruit the Sunken Sand Dao Sect and Jade Void Immortal Manor to help eliminate the Wang Family, then prepared to return to the Imperial Capital.
• Wang Tengfeng received a warning from Wang Tengyue that Li Chen was hunting Former Dynasty Remnants, while the Ministry of Justice secretly investigated the Wang Family.
• Xiao Ming met Lin Mo in the Imperial Capital, and the two went out for a drink after discovering they both served the dynasty.
• Tang Shan came to the Imperial Capital after learning that Xiao Rou, Zhu Zhuying, and Ning Xiaoxiao had entered the palace as consorts, while Jiang Mo arrived and discovered her family had gone there too.

Li Chen welcomed Jiang Rong into the Imperial Harem, where she joined Chu Ruoyan, Li Sining, and Xia Qing in forming a business partnership. After discussing military threats and a crushing workload, Li Chen ordered Pang Jin to prepare a nighttime move against the Wang Family for harboring the Former Dynasty Remnants.

• Li Sining happily reunited with Li Chen and welcomed her younger cousin Jiang Rong, who was introduced as Li Chen's consort.
• Chu Ruoyan proposed that she, Li Sining, Xia Qing, and Jiang Rong start a business together, and the four women agreed.
• Wu Nanzhi comforted Li Chen as he described the Northern Army's weather-bound advance, the threat from the Sea Clan, and the flood of impeachment cases burdening him.
• At court, Li Chen promoted Zou Chong to Chief Censor of the Censorate, and Pang Jin later reported evidence that the Wang Family was harboring the Former Dynasty Remnants.
• Li Chen ordered Pang Jin to arrange an operation against the Wang Family that night and said he would join when the time came.

Pang Jin prepared a coordinated arrest of the Wang Family while Xiao Ming visited Lin Mo and met Wu Qi at the Ministry of Works. Li Chen heard the Empress Dowager’s explanation, ordered Yuan Kexin’s execution, and the chapter ended as the purge of the Imperial Capital’s Former Dynasty Remnants was about to begin.

• Pang Jin coordinated with Li Sixing and his trusted Ministry of Justice subordinates to prepare that night’s arrests of the Wang Family without alerting their allies in the City Guard Army.
• Xiao Ming visited Lin Mo at the Ministry of Works, warned him to stay indoors that night, and reunited with Wu Qi, who had come to ask about weapons supplies for the Northern Army.
• The Empress Dowager told Li Chen that Zou Yi, his son, and implicated members of the Zou Family had been executed, and that Yuan Kexin had been brought to the Imperial Prison.
• Li Chen recognized Yuan Kexin as the Former Dynasty Remnants’ chief culprit and ordered her to die by a thousand cuts.
• The Empress Dowager brought Li Chen handmade clothes and shoes at her Bedchamber Palace as night fell over the Imperial Capital.

Pang Jin and Li Sixing launched a citywide assault on the Wang Family and the Former Dynasty Remnants, while Li Chen defeated Wang Tengfeng and ordered him imprisoned. As the fighting continued across the Imperial Capital, Lin Mo spotted a dark figure slipping into the neighboring courtyard.

• Pang Jin ordered Ministry of Justice experts, including Xiao Ming, to attack Wang Family locations as Li Sixing led the Imperial Guards into the capital.
• Xiao Ming and the Ministry of Justice teams fought Wang Family members and Former Dynasty Remnants while Imperial Guards raided their businesses and pursued fugitives.
• A Wang Family expert fought Li Xuyuan, and Li Sixing confronted Wang Tengfeng at the patriarch's residence.
• Wang Tengfeng revealed his Saint Realm strength and used the Confounding Sage Art, but Li Chen arrived and crushed him beneath a golden palm.
• Li Chen ordered Wang Tengfeng taken to the Imperial Prison, and Li Sixing continued making arrests as battles raged across the capital.
• Lin Mo recognized Xiao Ming's role in the operation and, while preparing to return to bed, saw a dark figure enter the neighboring courtyard.

Lin Mo discovered the dying Yuan Xingyu, accepted his teachings, treasures, and a key, then concealed the encounter as the Wang Family was destroyed in the Imperial Capital and Shanyin City. At morning court, Li Chen asked Zhao Wenyuan to recommend people for positions left vacant by the Wang Family’s fall.

• Lin Mo found the injured Yuan Xingyu hiding in an abandoned courtyard and accepted his secret manual, treasures, and a key after promising to deliver it to Yuan Xingyu’s companions.
• Yuan Xingyu died, and Lin Mo returned to the Ministry of Works while deciding to hide his connection to the Former Dynasty Remnants.
• Lin Yue'e, the constables, the Sunken Sand Dao Sect, and the Jade Void Immortal Manor captured Wang Tengyue and devastated the Wang Family stronghold in Shanyin City.
• Pang Jin reported the Wang Family’s crimes at morning court, and the ministers discussed the investigation and the empire’s military affairs.
• Li Chen asked Zhao Wenyuan to recommend people for the vacancies left by officials from the fallen Wang Family.

Li Chen considered reshaping the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s borders and planned how to approach ascension while responding to news of a military revolt in the Heavenly Martial Dynasty. As he waited for Pang Jin’s investigation to conclude, Li Chen’s allies returned to the Imperial Capital, ready to join his campaign through the Great Snow Mountain.

• Zhao Wenyuan proposed listing two qualified candidates for each vacant post so Li Chen could choose, and Li Chen agreed.
• After hearing that a revolt had broken out in the Heavenly Martial Dynasty, Li Chen sent word to Pei Wanyu and considered using the turmoil to expand his influence.
• Yun Shang visited Li Chen and praised her father, Yun Xu, while Yun Xu burned her letter rather than let Li Yu learn that she was seeking Li Chen’s favor.
• Li Chen told Wang Yueyao, Luo Qimeng, Han Yuesheng, Jin Qiaoqiao, and Ling Qianxi that the Wang Family had been arrested, while Xiao Ming boasted to Wu Qi and Lin Mo about his role in the case.
• Xiao Ming noticed and pursued Tang Shan, who had secretly helped a wounded Wang Family member and was tasked with finding Li Yang; meanwhile, Li Yang fled toward the Eastern Region.
• Two Saint Realm experts from the Nine Abyss Sacred Domain and a newly ascended Saint Realm expert from Tiger-Crouching City returned to the Imperial Capital to accompany Li Chen north through the Great Snow Mountain.

Late Breeze True Person visited Xia Qing at the Kindling Combat Academy, where its alchemy division and Li Chen’s pills impressed him, while Old Master Wu arrived in the capital and reunited with Wu Qi. Li Chen then led a party to explore the Ancient Ruins for a Saint Beast Egg, and Orchid Fairy detected a strong demonic aura at their destination.

• Late Breeze True Person toured the academy’s alchemy division with Xia Qing and praised pills she said Li Chen had refined.
• Old Master Wu arrived in the capital, visited Wu Qi at the Ministry of War, and spoke with the Minister of War about his mission.
• Li Chen gathered Wu Nanzhi, Li Sining, and Orchid Fairy to travel to the Ancient Ruins and seek the Saint Beast Egg.
• Orchid Fairy explained the difference between Ancient Ruins and Ancient Battlefields as the party traveled north.
• The party reached the mission location, where Orchid Fairy sensed a strong demonic aura.

Li Chen, Orchid Fairy, Li Sining, and Wu Nanzhi explored the ruins of an ancient beast taming sect and found a Saint Beast Egg that Li Sining could sense. When Li Sining sensed something else nearby, the group entered the sect’s forbidden grounds, where Li Chen opened a sealed cave and discovered a mysterious coffin that Orchid Fairy identified as the legendary World-Suppressing Bronze Coffin.

• Orchid Fairy explained that the unusually powerful Moonshadow Monkeys warned of dangerous demon beasts, and she and Li Chen bet on whether they would find a sect in the ancient forest.
• Orchid Fairy found the collapsed entrance to an underground ruin, and Li Chen carried Li Sining and Wu Nanzhi down into the remains of the ancient beast taming sect.
• Li Chen led the group past floating islands and demon beasts, then Orchid Fairy guided them through the ruined main hall toward the sect’s former demon-beast grounds.
• Li Sining sensed a presence near an enormous skeleton, and the group found a glowing Saint Beast Egg that Li Chen let her keep.
• After Li Sining sensed something else, Li Chen led the group into the forbidden grounds and broke the seal on a cave abode, where they found a black coffin carved with nine dragons.
• Orchid Fairy recognized the coffin as the legendary World-Suppressing Bronze Coffin.

Li Chen discovered that the World-Suppressing Bronze Coffins restricted humanity’s cultivation, then prepared to travel north and recruited Li Ran to prove his military talent. Meanwhile, Xu Zifeng led the Vanguard Army into the Snow Eagle Court’s Forbidden Land, where his intrusion awakened someone at the Heavenly Chasm.

• Orchid Fairy explained the legend of the World-Suppressing Bronze Coffins, and Li Chen’s system revealed that all nine had to be deactivated to lift humanity’s cultivation limit.
• Li Chen sealed the coffin, returned to the Imperial Capital, and agreed to let Li Ran join the war once he found all five volumes of the Emperor Dragon Sutra.
• The system gave Li Chen a timed quest to kill 100 demonic beasts, and he set out north with Imperial Guards alongside Orchid Fairy, Ji Lianyu, and the Princess of the South.
• Xu Zifeng led the stranded Vanguard Army through Great Snow Mountain and found the Snow Eagle Court’s Forbidden Land, where the soldiers discovered stores of food, herbs, ores, and a spirit spring.
• Xu Zifeng entered a passage in the Forbidden Land, triggering an alarm that alerted someone at the Heavenly Chasm to the intrusion.

Tuoba Zhen learned that an intruder had entered the Snow Eagle Tribe’s forbidden grounds while Li Chen’s forces advanced into the Northern Region. Chen Xuannan found the barrier blocking the Northern Army, was captured by Biyou Heavenly Venerable, and survived after Li Chen’s group arrived; with the barrier’s secret exposed, Li Chen planned to attack the Snow Eagle Tribe’s sacred land.

• Tuoba Zhen grew furious over his mother’s capture and set out to investigate an intruder in the forbidden grounds.
• Chen Xuannan located the hidden barrier in the Wulian Mountains with paper cranes, but Biyou Heavenly Venerable tracked him down and captured him.
• Chen Xuannan pretended to accept Biyou Heavenly Venerable’s offer, then revealed he was only buying time as Li Chen and three allies arrived and overwhelmed the Northern Region expert.
• Biyou Heavenly Venerable surrendered, accepted a restriction from Late Breeze True Person, and explained how to break the weather formation blocking the Northern Army.
• Biyou Heavenly Venerable identified the Northern Region’s Saint Realm experts and described Tuoba Zhen’s sacred-blood protection, while Li Chen decided to attack the Snow Eagle Tribe’s sacred land.
• Tuoba Zhen left to defend Great Snow Mountain, unaware that his home base was about to be raided again.

Li Chen prepared the Northern Army to advance on Emuer Sacred Mountain while Xu Zifeng encountered the Snow Leopard God in the forbidden ground and gained its valuable saliva. As Tuoba Zhen turned back to respond to the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s approach, Li Chen’s million-strong army met a coalition force near the Eaglewing Tribe’s territory.

• Li Chen questioned Huyan Lan about the Saint Realm and the Snow Leopard God, then heard the generals’ plan to break the Weather Formation before attacking Emuer Sacred Mountain.
• Late Breeze True Person and Old Master Wu left to destroy the Weather Formation and returned safely, allowing Guo Poyun to prepare the army to march the next day.
• Li Chen learned that Xu Zifeng had disappeared behind enemy lines and that Li Ling had earned First to Scale, then turned in for the night.
• Xu Zifeng fed the Snow Leopard God, which gave him its saliva; Ma Hei recognized its value, and Xu Zifeng divided it among himself, Ma Hei, and their soldiers.
• Tuoba Zhen brought elite troops to Great Snow Mountain to pursue Xu Zifeng, but turned back after learning that Li Chen was leading an army toward Emuer Sacred Mountain.
• Li Chen led a million soldiers toward Emuer Sacred Mountain and encountered a coalition army of more than two hundred thousand near the Eaglewing Tribe’s territory.

Li Chen led the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s million-strong army to defeat Shatushe’s northern allied cavalry, killing Shatushe and routing the enemy. After the battle, he visited Liu Hao’s camp, shared a meal with the soldiers, and heard how Liu Hao had grown into a battlefield commander.

• Shatushe rallied the northern allied army and charged the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s forces, while Li Chen urged his own soldiers forward with a brief battle cry.
• Li Chen killed Shatushe with a single sword strike, and the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s superior Harmony Meridian Formation helped rout the northern allied army.
• Huyan Yu watched the defeat and decided to retreat with his men to the Great Snow Mountain rather than return to Sacred Mountain City.
• After the fighting, Li Chen checked on Orchid Fairy and observed the army’s cleanup while the surviving enemy soldiers were finished off.
• Li Chen visited Liu Hao’s camp, ate with the soldiers, and listened as Liu Hao recounted his Northern Army experiences.
• Liu Hao admitted that he had used connections to send his soldiers extra supplies, and Li Chen approved as long as he had followed regulations.

Li Chen’s army reached Sacred Mountain City and camped while Guo Poyun organized reconnaissance and prepared for a possible attack by Tuoba Zhen. As night approached, Late Breeze True Person and two allies planned to exploit the city formation’s opening if Tuoba Zhen left the city.

• Altai rallied the Snow Eagle Tribe’s defenders at Sacred Mountain City, while Tuoba Zhen hurried back after Biyou Heavenly Venerable surrendered.
• Li Chen refused to assault the city’s formidable uphill defenses and ordered his army to establish camp and assess the enemy.
• Guo Poyun assigned Liu Hao and Li Ling to draw the defenders’ attention while Late Breeze True Person, Old Master Wu, and Orchid Fairy investigated the city’s formation.
• Guo Poyun warned Li Chen that Tuoba Zhen might attempt a decapitation attack, and Li Chen prepared formations and treasures to counter him.
• Liu Hao and Li Ling led troops to challenge Sacred Mountain City, where Altai’s forces answered with arrows and stones rather than coming out to fight.
• Late Breeze True Person proposed entering the city to destroy the formation’s sustaining treasures when Tuoba Zhen’s departure opened a way through the array.

Late Breeze True Person, Old Master Wu, and Orchid Fairy tried to infiltrate Sacred Mountain City but were defeated by Tuoba Zhen and escaped. After Orchid Fairy warned Li Chen how formidable Tuoba Zhen was, Li Chen considered how to lure him out, only for Tuoba Zhen to challenge him to a duel the next day.

• Late Breeze True Person, Old Master Wu, and Orchid Fairy waited for Tuoba Zhen near Sacred Mountain City's northern gate, then attempted to slip inside when he returned with his cavalry.
• Tuoba Zhen sensed the three intruders and overwhelmed them with his snow leopard and divine eagle powers, but Orchid Fairy used her magic treasure to cover their escape.
• Tuoba Zhen returned to the city, learned Li Chen was not among the three attackers, and heard from his generals about the latest events.
• The injured trio returned to camp and reported their defeat to Li Chen, while Orchid Fairy later warned him that Tuoba Zhen was the strongest Saint Realm cultivator she had encountered apart from him.
• Li Chen considered how to draw Tuoba Zhen away from the city and into a prepared array, but the next day Tuoba Zhen challenged him to a one-on-one duel.

Li Chen accepted Tuoba Zhen’s challenge to protect the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s morale and defeated him decisively in front of both armies. Tuoba Zhen escaped to Sacred Mountain City using a disintegration technique, while Li Chen resolved to obtain holy blood from the Snow Leopard God so the Sect cultivators could learn it.

• Li Chen dismissed warnings that Tuoba Zhen’s duel might be a trap and rode out to face him on the grassland.
• Tuoba Zhen opened with the Snow Eagle Tribe’s Supreme Killing Fist, but Li Chen destroyed it with a casual punch and left Tuoba Zhen badly injured.
• After Tuoba Zhen attacked with his saber, Li Chen drew his longsword and cut both him and his weapon in half.
• Tuoba Zhen’s remains transformed into streaks of light and fled toward Sacred Mountain City; the Court’s army retreated, and Guo Poyun pursued its scattered troops.
• Late Breeze True Person explained Tuoba Zhen’s escape technique and its severe costs, and Li Chen promised the Sect cultivators holy blood from the Snow Leopard God so they could obtain a similar ability.

After recovering from his defeat by Li Chen, Tuoba Zhen prepared to defend Sacred Mountain City while learning that reinforcements were coming and that the Sun-Moon Dragon Clan would not help. Meanwhile, Chen Xuannan found the city’s secret passage and arranged for Li Ling to discover it, giving Li Chen a potential way to breach the defenses.

• Tuoba Zhen revived after eight hours and learned from Altai that the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s assaults had been repelled, reinforcements were approaching, and the Sun-Moon Dragon Clan had stayed out of the conflict.
• Tuoba Zhen angrily dismissed his consorts when they hinted that he should appoint their sons as Left Tuqi King, but Tuoba Yan restored his confidence by expressing faith in his victory.
• Tuoba Yan’s mother revealed that she hoped the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty would capture Sacred Mountain City and remembered that the royal palace had a secret passage, so she entered the inner courtyard to search for it.
• Chen Xuannan searched Emuer Sacred Mountain and found the secret passage beneath a steep cliff, then planted a map for Li Ling to find.
• Li Ling discovered the passage’s entrance and told Li Chen, who promised her the foremost credit if the army captured Sacred Mountain City.

Li Chen entered Sacred Mountain City through a secret passage with Late Breeze True Person and reunited with his aunt, Li Xueying, who had discovered the route. After Li Xueying helped them evade Tuoba Yan and led them toward the south gate, Li Chen prepared to approach the city’s defenses in plain sight.

• Li Chen and Late Breeze True Person found a weakened detection formation in the underground passage, and Li Xueying opened it from the city side.
• Li Chen recognized Li Xueying as his sixteenth aunt, and she explained how she had discovered the passage while searching Tuoba Zhen’s sleeping chambers.
• Li Chen agreed to let Li Xueying guide him and Late Breeze True Person through the palace toward the south gate, while Li Ling returned to guard the passage.
• Li Xueying encountered her daughter, Tuoba Yan, and delayed her before rejoining Li Chen and asking him to spare Tuoba Yan when the army attacked.
• Li Xueying led Li Chen and Late Breeze True Person near the south gate, then stayed behind as Li Chen walked out into the open.