Chapter Summaries

Li Chen destroyed the Supreme Hua Sword Sect after Venerable Youhen defied him, then joined the Western Expeditionary Army as it prepared to invade the Sasanian Dynasty. He left the campaign’s strategy to Guo Poyun and ordered the four Sasanian great families to kneel for a chance to rule the region.

• Li Chen and ten Saint Realm experts overwhelmed the Supreme Hua Sword Sect, killed Venerable Youhen, and enabled the surrounding forces to massacre the sect and seize its resources.
• True Person Red Kite and Late Breeze True Person nearly fought while the experts discussed the Sea Clan and their rivalries, but the others persuaded them to stop.
• Li Chen arrived at the Western Expeditionary Army’s command tent, where Guo Poyun outlined the Sasanian Dynasty’s four Demon Beast legions and their weaknesses.
• A commander reported the Sasanian Dynasty’s Saint Realm defenders and the locations of three reclusive experts, while the officers debated which family to support.
• Li Chen ordered all four great families to receive an ultimatum: whoever knelt first would become the region’s new ruler, a plan Guo Poyun praised as a way to sow division.

Empress Sasan Alisa prepared to defend the Sasanian Dynasty against Li Chen while its four great families weighed secret offers from the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty. At the front, Li Chen described a dream in which he had devoured ancient creatures, then considered how to use his ten Saint Realm cultivators to strike at Alisa.

• Alisa rejected surrender and ordered the patriarchs of the four great families summoned to arrange the dynasty's defenses.
• Karl Azman, Farah Ibn, and Nasser Hassan each received secret offers from Li Chen, but chose to wait or refused to switch sides without better terms.
• Li Chen's army crossed into Sasanian territory, while the Sasanian Dynasty's Demon Beast Legions stayed out of the fighting.
• Li Chen woke after a strange dream and told Mu Qingrou, Orchid Fairy, and the gathered cultivators that he had seen and eaten ancient creatures.
• The Star-Moon Cave venerables recognized the dream as a possible sign of the Myriad Races' return, while Li Chen complained that the creatures tasted bad.
• Li Chen considered using his ten Saint Realm cultivators to attack Alisa, whose whereabouts remained unknown.

The Empress prepared to defend Sacred Mountain City while Li Chen weighed the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s future and its coming war against the Myriad Races. Meanwhile, Xiao Ming searched for his missing mother, but the Saint Remnant Soul’s advice kept him from a lead in Shanghe City, where Jiang Mo awaited a mission in the Demon Cave.

• The Empress abandoned her plan to duel Li Chen after her officers and allied clan leaders warned that losing could cost them Sacred Mountain City, and she listened to hours of defensive planning.
• Li Chen considered how to expand the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty without repeating the Great Yuan Dynasty’s oppressive rule, while keeping his attention on the eventual war against the Myriad Races.
• Xiao Ming learned that the Wang Family had taken his mother alive, then found evidence that a powerful swordsman had rescued women from the family estate.
• Xiao Ming questioned nearby cultivators about the rescue but, following the Saint Remnant Soul’s advice, did not visit Shanghe City, missing a chance to learn from the Jiang Family’s maids.
• Jiang Mo managed the Jiang Family in Shanghe City, resented Li Chen for taking her relatives, and waited to join her sect in clearing the Demon Cave.

Empress Elissa and her commanders debated how to defend Ardashir City as Guo Poyun prepared a strategy to pin down the Sasanian forces while invading elsewhere. Li Chen summoned Li Ji and Li Ran, who discussed their motives and Li Ran’s knowledge of the demon beast legions’ tactics, then asked Li Ji about his performance in the army.

• Karl Azman, Farah Ibn, Nasser Hassan, Morey, and other commanders proposed plans to defend Ardashir City, while Elissa urged them to hold their position and await the attack.
• Guo Poyun planned to have Li Chen and ten Saint Realm experts advance slowly toward Ardashir City while other armies invaded the Sasanian heartland and threatened its surrounding cities.
• Li Chen summoned Li Ji and Li Ran to his camp, where the two princes discussed why they had come to the army.
• Li Ran said he wanted to surpass the Second and Third Princes, then explained how the four demon beast legions might fight and how to counter them.
• Li Chen arrived, dismissed the princes’ formalities, and asked Li Ji how he had performed in the army.

Li Chen assigned Li Ji command of a twenty-thousand-man army with Li Ran as his subordinate, while the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s forces pressed into Sasanian territory. In Ardashir City, Empress Elissa’s plans were undermined by factional disputes and the unauthorized departure of the Giant Elephant Legion.

• Li Chen ordered Li Ji to take command of a twenty-thousand-man imperial clan army and bring Li Ran with him, and Li Ran explained that the assignment tested Li Ji’s ability to lead.
• Li Ji and Li Ran gathered their retainers and headed to take control of the army, while Xu Zifeng, Liu Hao, and Li Ling advanced against the Sasanian Dynasty.
• Xu Zifeng chose a perilous route toward the Royal Capital, and Ma Hei realized Xu was taking the campaign seriously because ten Saint Realm experts oversaw the expedition.
• Li Ran predicted the Lionheart Legion would raid the supply lines, giving the still-uncommitted Li Ji an opportunity to earn merit by intercepting it.
• Empress Elissa proposed evacuating border cities and using guerrilla warfare, but Duke Azman and Duke Hassan clashed over Hassan’s transfer of the Azure Ox Legion to protect his territory.
• After Elissa issued orders to evacuate the cities, Duke Azman secretly led the Giant Elephant Legion out of Ardashir City, damaging the city’s morale.

Guo Poyun recognized the Sasanian Dynasty’s apparent turmoil as a trap, but Li Chen had already begun attacking Ardashir City. Li Chen shattered the city’s century-old defensive formation, and as the city fell into battle, Empress Elissa led the Giant Elephant Legion toward him, believing he was weakened.

• Guo Poyun suspected the Sasanian Dynasty had staged the unrest in Ardashir City to lure the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s armies into a trap, then ordered nearby legions to cover Li Chen’s withdrawal.
• Empress Elissa and Duke Azman watched Li Chen’s army approach, confident that their deception would draw it into a siege.
• Li Chen ignored the Empress’s expected challenge and attacked Ardashir City, combining the power of his soldiers and Saint Realm experts to break the Three Enclosures Guardian-State Formation.
• Li Chen ordered the assault, and the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s troops stormed Ardashir City as its shaken defenders fought back.
• Duke Azman urged Empress Elissa to retreat, but she decided Li Chen was weakened and led the Giant Elephant Legion to attack him.

Li Chen defeated Empress Elissa in a duel, captured Ardashir City, and forced the Sasanian Dynasty to surrender. After the news reached the scattered armies, he took Elissa to her palace and began another fierce encounter with her.

• The six Saint Realm experts trapped Elissa and the Giant Elephant Legion in a reversed formation, but Li Chen agreed to fight Elissa alone in exchange for her promise to withdraw if she lost.
• Li Chen struck Elissa through her sacred lion defense with his Escape Heaven and Enter Earth technique, and she conceded after the Giant Elephant Legion and Duke Azman submitted.
• A messenger told Guo Poyun that Li Chen had taken Ardashir City and defeated Elissa, while Xu Zifeng learned the Sasanian Dynasty had surrendered near its capital.
• The Sasanian forces across the battlefield received news of the surrender, and Xu Zifeng's Vanguard Army, Duke Ibn, Duke Hassan, and Morey halted their operations.
• Li Chen occupied Elissa's palace, took her into a room under the pretense of fighting another round, and Elissa eventually yielded.

After Li Chen's victories over the Northern Court and the Sasanian Dynasty made him a celebrated emperor, the Third Prince Li Yu and the Prince of the South Xu Su considered joining forces against him. Xu Su also punished the Ji Family and weighed his chances, while the Witch Gu Holy Land's Holy Lord reconsidered backing him after receiving a letter from Ma Hei praising Li Chen's strength.

• Li Chen's victories inspired celebration across the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty, drew interest from cultivators and recruits, and made Li Yu and Xu Su fear he would turn his attention toward them.
• Li Yu and Xu Su met secretly and discussed racing to the Imperial Capital, but Xu Su insisted Li Yu help kill Yun Xu, and Li Yu asked for a day to decide.
• Xu Su received a letter from Xu Zifeng revealing that the Ji Family had moved to the Imperial Capital, so he stripped its members of their posts and imprisoned them.
• Xu Su considered how to stop Li Chen's army from crushing his forces and threatened to surprise Li Yu if he received no answer the next day.
• The Holy Lord of the Witch Gu Holy Land weighed whether to keep supporting Xu Su, then received Ma Hei's letter urging him to consider pledging allegiance to Li Chen instead.

Yun Shang discovered that her aunt Yun Yuehua lived in the palace and enlisted her help in getting closer to Li Chen. Meanwhile, Li Chen entered the conquered Sasanian capital, took its palace, and left after arranging its administration and selecting consorts to accompany him back to the Imperial Capital.

• Yun Shang found Yun Yuehua in the palace, learned she was keeping Orchid Fairy company, and gained her promise to help her approach Li Chen.
• Li Chen arrived in the Sasanian capital with his army, occupied the palace, and began a court session with Empress Elissa and Sasanian officials before him.
• Guo Poyun accused Zhao Wenyuan of neglecting his duties, and Li Chen punished both men with salary deductions and warnings.
• Li Chen ordered Elissa to resume governing the Sasanian Region, then selected 216 consorts to work in the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty's Imperial Capital.
• Elissa appointed a younger sister Li Chen had not taken as empress, settled the nation's affairs, and hurried to Li Chen's Imperial Harem.

Li Yu considered an alliance with Li Xian to ambush Li Chen during a Sea Clan invasion, while Yun Xu withdrew his troops and warned Li Chen about the shifting alliances. After the Prince of the South accused Li Yu of rebellion in a memorial, Li Chen learned of the southern situation and considered how to handle both princes.

• Li Yu agreed to consider cooperating with Li Xian, provided Li Xian proved his strength and helped ambush Li Chen when he marched east against the Sea Clan.
• Yun Xu noticed that Li Xian and the Prince of the South had stopped fighting, withdrew the Second Army Group into a defensive posture, and sent Li Chen a memorial.
• Li Yu told the Prince of the South that his exhausted troops would withdraw east, enraging the prince and leaving his northern advance in jeopardy.
• The Prince of the South sent Li Chen a memorial denying his own rebellion and accusing Li Yu of conspiring with the Heaven-Crying Sword Tomb to overthrow the court.
• Li Chen questioned the Minister of War about the south, learned why the Prince of the South had accused Li Yu, and heard the minister advise him to use both princes while preparing to strip them of military authority.

Li Chen reviewed state affairs, approved plans for the railway and Northern Region tourism, and agreed to help Ji Lianyu free imprisoned Ji Family members. Meanwhile, Li Ling received a secret message after learning Li Yang was waiting for her, and Xu Zifeng returned to the Ji Family estate, unaware that his mother was hiding in Ji Lianyu's room.

• Li Chen ordered the Prince of the South to await orders and reviewed reports that the railway from the Imperial Capital to Cloudsea City was nearly complete, with aristocratic lineages and sects contributing to its construction.
• Li Chen instructed the ministries to plan Northern Region tourism while considering the Sea Clan's increased activity and the intelligence Pei Wanyu sent him.
• Ji Lianyu asked Li Chen to help the Prince of the South's imprisoned Ji Family members, and Li Chen promised to issue an imperial edict before agreeing to visit the Ji Family estate.
• Li Ling visited her imprisoned father, Prince Jing'an Li Longyu, who urged her to serve Li Chen faithfully, then learned Li Yang's men were waiting near the residence and received a note from a mysterious messenger.
• Xu Zifeng left Li Ji's drinking gathering and visited the Ji Family estate, where Ji Lianyu kept him from entering her room while the Princess of the South hid inside.

Xu Zifeng secured the Ji Family residence while Li Chen handled court affairs and watched Li Xueying’s performances in the palace. Meanwhile, Jiang Mo and her master Ning Tao entered a demon cave to train, carrying old resentment toward the imperial family as they faced a new threat to Ning Tao’s freedom.

• Xu Zifeng dismissed the male servants at the Ji Family residence, then reassured the Princess of the South and Ji Lianyu about his safety and cultivation.
• Li Chen settled Zhao Wenyuan and Guo Poyun’s dispute at Morning Court, reviewed the expanding government’s workload, and considered bringing Lin Yue'e back to the Imperial Capital after her current assignment.
• Li Xueying brought Li Chen to Flowing Cloud Hall to watch the trained Northern Court consorts dance, including a solo performance by Tuoba Anyu.
• Jiang Mo joined Ning Tao and three other disciples to explore a demon cave where demonic beasts had returned after a decade without visitors.
• Ning Tao’s disciples’ distrust of the imperial family deepened because an imperial clansman had come to the Jade Void Immortal Manor demanding that Ning Tao honor an old betrothal.

Jiang Mo and her fellow disciples encountered Li Chen in a Demon Cave, where he revealed his overwhelming strength and let them leave. Deeper inside, Li Chen found the wounded Feng Chu, caught his sword strike with two fingers, and revealed that he had reached the Saint Realm.

• Ning Tao led Jiang Mo and four other disciples into a Demon Cave, where they fought demonized wolves and Ning Tao saved Jiang Mo from a powerful she-wolf.
• Li Chen and Wu Nanzhi entered the cave to complete Li Chen's mission, and two of Jiang Mo's senior brothers insulted Li Chen before learning he was the emperor of the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty.
• Jiang Mo recognized Li Chen as her sister Jiang Rong's relative, and Ning Tao led the disciples out of the cave after they apologized.
• Li Chen and Wu Nanzhi traveled deeper into the cave, where Li Chen killed approaching demonic beasts and discussed recruiting Jiang Mo to complete Li Sining's sword formation.
• Li Chen opened a stone door and found Feng Chu, the wounded sect master of the Roselight Sword Sect, who attacked him with his strongest sword intent.
• Li Chen caught Feng Chu's sword between two fingers and told him he had reached the Saint Realm.

Li Chen saved Feng Chu, recruited him for the court, and uncovered a sealed demonic realm containing a World-Suppressing Bronze Coffin. After returning to Shanghe City, Li Chen’s acquaintances gathered at the Jiang Residence, where Vassal King Li Yanhui arrived intending to seize Ning Tao.

• Li Chen dispersed Feng Chu’s demonic energy, learned his identity, and directed him to serve Lin Yue'e in the Ministry of Sect Affairs.
• Feng Chu led Li Chen and Wu Nanzhi to a hidden crack in the demon cave, where Li Chen discovered and sealed a World-Suppressing Bronze Coffin.
• Li Chen killed the demonic beasts in the hidden realm and completed his mission before Feng Chu returned to the Roselight Sword Sect and Li Chen set out for Shanghe City.
• At the Jiang Residence, Jiang Mo and her fellow disciples discussed Li Chen and reconciled with their loved ones while Ning Tao looked on.
• Vassal King Li Yanhui brought his subordinates to the Jiang Residence and ordered the head maid aside, intending to take Ning Tao for himself.

Prince Li Yanhui forced his way into the Jiang Residence to pursue Ning Tao and Jiang Mo, but Li Chen arrived and punished him for his lawless behavior. After settling the incident, Li Chen assessed Jiang Mo's cultivation and took her for a ride on the Saint Tiger, leaving Wu Nanzhi watching Ning Tao thoughtfully.

• Li Yanhui barged into the Jiang Residence, dismissed Jiang Mo's protest, and claimed the imperial family stood above the law.
• A constable confronted Li Yanhui and warned him that Li Chen was at the City Inspector's Office, prompting the prince to try to leave.
• Li Chen arrived at the Jiang Residence, heard Jiang Mo's complaint and the constable's report, then ordered Li Yanhui to slap himself and spend a year imprisoned with Prince Jing'an.
• Ning Tao thanked Li Chen, and he offered to assess Jiang Mo's cultivation before giving her pointers in the courtyard.
• Li Chen summoned the Saint Tiger, and Jiang Mo asked to ride it; he joined her as they rode away while Wu Nanzhi watched Ning Tao thoughtfully.

Xu Qianqian and Zhong Ling plotted to pursue Li Chen while Wu Nanzhi persuaded Ning Tao to visit the Imperial Capital and meet Mu Qingrou. After Li Chen returned with Jiang Mo, Luo Fei and Chen Jiyu went looking for their girlfriends and discovered that the women they expected to find with Li Chen were instead gathered with Ning Tao.

• Luo Fei and Chen Jiyu watched Jiang Mo leave with Li Chen, then resigned themselves to their romantic failures and headed back to the Jiang Residence.
• Xu Qianqian told Zhong Ling she planned to pursue Li Chen, and the two women devised a plan to approach him discreetly.
• Wu Nanzhi learned that Ning Tao admired Mu Qingrou and persuaded her to visit the Imperial Capital by offering to introduce them.
• Li Chen and Jiang Mo returned to the residence, and Jiang Mo supported Ning Tao's plan to travel to the Imperial Capital.
• Luo Fei and Chen Jiyu searched for Zhong Ling and Xu Qianqian, heard people in Li Chen's room, then found Ning Tao, Jiang Mo, and Wu Nanzhi together in another room.

Chen Jiyu and Luo Fei watched Li Chen leave with their girlfriends, then clashed with Xiao Ming while pursuing a beautiful stranger. The stranger, secretly the Former Dynasty Remnants princess Yuan Qianyu, drew Xiao Ming into her plans as he escorted her back to Shanghe City, while Li Xian prepared to target Li Chen.

• Chen Jiyu and Luo Fei hid outside Ning Tao's room all night, watched their girlfriends leave with Li Chen, and pretended at breakfast that nothing was wrong.
• Xiao Ming arrived in Shanghe City, failed to persuade Lin Yue'e to spar, and decided to seek a Deputy Minister of Justice post before returning to the Imperial Capital.
• Chen Jiyu and Luo Fei pestered Wei Manying on the road, but Xiao Ming ordered them away and accepted her invitation to a meal.
• Wei Manying prompted Xiao Ming to boast about his government rank, then said she planned to establish a business in Shanghe City; Xiao Ming offered to help and escorted her back there.
• Wei Manying was revealed to be Yuan Qianyu, princess of the Former Dynasty Remnants, who intended to use Xiao Ming to rescue her captured clansmen and investigate Lin Yue'e.
• Li Xian used fabricated intelligence to manipulate Li Yang and Li Yu, then prepared to act against Li Chen during the eastern campaign.

Xu Zifeng followed the Prince of the South’s plan to cultivate political support in the capital while Li Chen returned with rewards from the Demon Cave mission and received Jiang Mo into the Imperial Harem. Li Sining welcomed her cousin and promised to protect her as she explained the harem’s factions.

• Xu Zifeng told Ma Hei that they would visit Ministry of Rites officials and hereditary nobles to build relationships and help the Prince of the South appear loyal to Li Chen.
• Wu Qi rose in prominence after Li Chen gave the Wu Family a mansion, Liu Hao earned recognition as General Liu, and Lin Mo advanced through his work on the Railway Train while secretly remaining tied to the Former Dynasty Remnants.
• Li Chen received ten Heaven Grade Origin-Breaking Pills, the Thunder Radiance Dragon-Roar Break skill, and a time-limited mission to obtain the Sword Mound Inheritance after reaching the primordial spirit realm.
• Li Sining came looking for Jiang Mo, and Li Chen gave her the pills and martial skill before taking her to meet her cousin in the Imperial Harem.
• Li Chen caught Jiang Rong after she called him dangerous, while Jiang Ningyue and Dong Zhiqing went to help her; Li Sining introduced herself to Jiang Mo and described the harem’s powerful factions.
• Li Sining reassured the frightened Jiang Mo that she would protect her and told her to stay close.

Jiang Mo and Ning Tao settled into the Imperial Harem, where Ning Tao received Mu Qingrou’s dual-cultivation manual and eventually joined Li Chen. After the Imperial Cloud Railway’s successful inaugural journey, Li Chen faced growing demand to expand the network and reports of clashes with the Sea Clan.

• Chu Ruoyan reassured Jiang Mo, while Wu Nanzhi introduced Ning Tao to Mu Qingrou, who gave Ning Tao a manual for strengthening her cultivation through dual cultivation with Li Chen.
• Ning Tao visited Xu Qianqian and Zhong Ling, who persuaded her to enter the Imperial Harem; she later became Li Chen’s consort and embraced dual cultivation.
• Li Chen and the ministers held the Imperial Cloud Railway’s opening ceremony, and the train carried officials, cultivators, merchants, and other passengers from the Imperial Capital to Cloudsea City and back in one day.
• After the successful journey, merchants offered to fund new railway lines, and Lin Mo began surveying routes as the court planned the network’s expansion.
• Li Chen considered building railways in the Western Region after the Naval Commander reported clashes between the navy and the Sea Clan.

At court, Li Chen reprimanded the Minister of Personnel for recommending incompetent former officials, then gave him one final chance to submit a qualified list. He also addressed railway expansion, foreign interest, tax revenue, and military deployments, before Chu Ruoyan joined him in the Imperial Study.

• Li Chen rejected the Railway Track Department staffing list after recognizing several officials he had dismissed for incompetence, and ordered the Minister of Personnel to submit a capable replacement list by nightfall.
• The Minister of Rites asked whether foreign visitors should be restricted from studying the railway, and Li Chen said the dynasty should focus on developing its technology faster than other countries.
• Liu Minghan reported that railway investments could be recovered within two years, while the Ministers of Works and Justice raised expansion requests and passenger safety concerns.
• The Minister of War reported that Third Prince Li Yu had returned to Green Mound City, and Li Chen ordered nearby troops repositioned while deciding Li Yu should go to his fief.
• Chu Ruoyan visited Li Chen after his work, and he welcomed her into his arms.