Chapter Summaries

Zhang Xing Yan was formally appointed master of Four Seas Hall and prepared to leave Raozhou for Mount Luofu, where he would take up his post and study Daoist arts. Before he departed, Ling Yier gave him treasured gifts and Qinghe presented him with a talisman scripture, leaving Xing Yan to begin his journey.

• Shangqing Palace formally promoted Zhang Xing Yan to master of Four Seas Hall after Liu Zongbai resigned and returned to Mount Luofu.
• Zhang Xing Yan decided to accept the appointment, and his parents encouraged him to leave after he arranged repairs to their home and asked Qinghe to look after them.
• Ling Yier taught Zhang Xing Yan the Iceheart Knot and Water Without a Trace, gave him Divine Snow and two jade lotuses, and accepted one lotus back as his parting gift.
• Zhang Xing Yan and Ling Yier parted at Poyang Lake after she fell silent when he asked about her fame beyond the four seas.
• Qinghe accompanied Zhang Xing Yan on his departure and gave him the Scripture of House-Guarding and Evil-Repelling Talismans before leaving him to continue toward Mount Luofu.

Xing Yan traveled toward Mount Luofu with Shangqing Palace disciple Chen Ziping, learning how the order taught Daoist arts and about its triennial grand contest. His excitement at entering the contest faded when Chen Ziping reminded him that, as master of Four Seas Hall, Xing Yan was already a senior dignitary who could neither become a pupil nor compete.

• Xing Yan rode toward Mount Luofu with Chen Ziping, reflecting on his past partings with Ju Ying and Ling Yier.
• Chen Ziping explained that Shangqing Palace admitted disciples to formal Daoist training only after examinations, though exceptional disciples could receive direct tutelage from senior elders.
• Chen Ziping described the Daoist Origin Celebration, where Shangqing Palace, Wondrous Radiance Palace, and the Celestial Master Order held contests in spellcraft and scriptural discourse.
• Xing Yan declared that he would study hard and compete in the spellcraft contest to win honor for Shangqing Palace.
• Chen Ziping told Xing Yan that his rank as master of Four Seas Hall made him a Daoist dignitary, so he could not become a pupil or enter the contest and would likely serve as a judge.

Xing Yan and Chen Ziping arrived in Luoyang, where Xing Yan admired the local customs before watching a wandering martial artist perform. A little girl known as the Little Fox Immortal challenged the performer, Zhao Yigun, leaving the confrontation about to begin.

• Xing Yan and Chen Ziping reached Luoyang after a journey of fourteen or fifteen days and decided to stay overnight.
• Xing Yan explored Luoyang’s bamboo streets and admired the clothing and customs of its Han, Miao, and Yi residents.
• Xing Yan and Chen Ziping joined a crowd watching Zhao Yigun demonstrate his staff skills and boast of his Water Cannot Penetrate technique.
• A local old man told Xing Yan that the performer was in trouble because he did not recognize the Little Fox Immortal.
• The Little Fox Immortal entered the ring, challenged Zhao Yigun’s claims, and offered to test his staff skills.

Xing Yan and Chen Ziping watched a mischievous fox girl soak street performer Zhao Yigun, then continued through Luoyang after the crowd dispersed. As they crossed a bamboo bridge, Chen Ziping discovered his money pouch was missing.

• Xing Yan heard a local explain that the fox girl was known for punishing villains, while Chen Ziping condemned talisman-selling as an improper Daoist practice.
• Zhao Yigun challenged the fox girl to test his staff technique against splashed water, and she agreed to the contest.
• The fox girl splashed water at Zhao Yigun, who was drenched by a sudden mass of cold water despite his whirling staff.
• A local idler warned Zhao Yigun about the fox girl, and Zhao gathered his coins and hurried away as she called after him.
• Xing Yan and Chen Ziping went looking for tea, but Chen Ziping cried out that his money pouch was gone while they crossed a bamboo bridge.

After Chen Ziping lost their travel money in Luoyang, Xing Yan copied talismans from Qinghe’s scripture and set up a street stall to earn their expenses. Their first interested customer turned out to be the little girl who had troubled Zhao Yigun that morning, and she challenged Xing Yan for selling Demon-Subduing Talismans too.

• Chen Ziping discovered that a thief had cut his money pouch from his waist and stolen their silver.
• Xing Yan decided to sell talismans when Chen Ziping explained that local people were already skilled at music and street performances.
• The innkeeper gave the two Shangqing Daoists paper, brushes, and ink, and Xing Yan copied a variety of talismans from Qinghe’s scripture.
• Chen Ziping examined an evil-repelling talisman and said it had cleared his mind of his worries.
• Xing Yan and Chen Ziping set up a talisman stall, but Xing Yan attracted no buyers despite calling out to passersby.
• The little girl in a red jacket inspected Xing Yan’s talismans and asked whether he was selling Demon-Subduing Talismans too.

At his talisman stall in Luoyang, Xing Yan’s demon-subduing talisman transformed the Little Fox Immortal into a divine-looking horned, winged beast. As the frightened creature struggled, Xing Yan approached to remove the talisman and comfort her.

• The Little Fox Immortal challenged Xing Yan’s talismans, stuck several on herself, and declared them useless while the crowd watched.
• Chen Ziping drew his sword at the girl, but Xing Yan persuaded him to stand down and tried to coax her away from the stall.
• The Little Fox Immortal demanded to see a demon-subduing talisman, snatched Xing Yan’s powerful one, and stuck it to her head; it hardened into an immovable iron-like plate.
• Xing Yan advertised the talisman’s effectiveness to the crowd and prepared to remove it, but the Little Fox Immortal transformed into a snow-white beast with horns and wings.
• Xing Yan reassured the frightened beast and recited the incantation as he reached to remove the talisman.

Xing Yan and Chen Ziping’s talismans became a sensation in Luoyang after Xing Yan exposed a strange beast disguised as a little girl. The two Daoists left town at dawn, but the girl reappeared on their mountain road and tugged at Xing Yan’s trouser leg.

• Xing Yan removed the Spirit Talisman and watched the strange beast transform back into a crying little girl, who accused him of bullying her before fleeing.
• The crowd rushed to buy Xing Yan’s talismans, and he sold them all before drawing more to meet the afternoon demand.
• Xing Yan gave the Bamboo Guest Inn’s proprietor talismans for prosperity and protection, while the innkeeper promised not to reveal the Daoists’ identities.
• Xing Yan and Chen Ziping left Luoyang before dawn, and the innkeeper’s stories about them made the inn famous and inspired locals to seek Shangqing Palace.
• As Xing Yan and Chen Ziping rode away from Luoyang, the little girl appeared and clutched Xing Yan’s trouser leg.

Xing Yan refused to take the lonely beast-girl with him to Shangqing Palace, but gave her the name Qiong Rong and played her a farewell flute song. As he continued his journey with Chen Ziping, Xing Yan vowed that he would return for her.

• Qiong Rong asked Xing Yan to take her along, explaining that she had lived alone among Luoyang’s hills and treasured his kindness.
• Xing Yan refused because Shangqing Palace would be dangerous for her, then tried to comfort her by saying he was a monster too.
• Qiong Rong accepted his answer and asked Xing Yan to give her a new name; he named her Qiong Rong and explained that he hoped she would always be happy.
• Qiong Rong told Xing Yan that his scent felt familiar, then disappeared into the bamboo grove as he played her a flute song.
• Xing Yan admitted to Chen Ziping that he felt he had wronged Qiong Rong, then declared that he would return for her.

Xing Yan questioned Chen Ziping’s belief that spirits were inherently evil, arguing that they should be judged as individuals rather than condemned by their kind. After seven days of travel, the two reached Mount Luofu, where Xing Yan was about to enter Shangqing Palace as the future master of Four Seas Hall.

• Xing Yan told Chen Ziping he intended to return to Luoyang to visit Qiong Rong someday.
• Xing Yan asked why Chen Ziping was prejudiced against spirits, and Chen defended Shangqing’s teachings against demons and monsters.
• Xing Yan challenged Chen Ziping’s reasoning by comparing revered divine beasts with weaker spirits and arguing that good and evil existed among all kinds of beings.
• Chen Ziping’s certainty wavered, though he reassured himself that Shangqing’s principles could not be wrong.
• After seven days on the road, Xing Yan and Chen Ziping reached Mount Luofu and continued on foot toward Shangqing Hall on Flying Cloud Summit.

Xing Yan and Chen Ziping climbed Mount Luofu, where Xing Yan admired the mountain’s unusual scenery and learned they were still far from Shangqing Palace. After resting, Xing Yan met an elderly Daoist on a secluded path, but failed to recognize him and could not find him when he went to catch up.

• Xing Yan and Chen Ziping entered Mount Luofu and discussed the Shangqing Palace’s sword-flying arts and the mountain’s wonders.
• Xing Yan admired Luofu’s rare plants and animals and marveled at the inscription naming it the seventh grotto-heaven.
• Xing Yan and Chen Ziping rested at the Halfway Pavilion, and Xing Yan then wandered alone toward a secluded mountain path.
• Xing Yan encountered an elderly Daoist singing as he walked and politely returned his bow without asking who he was.
• Xing Yan regretted missing the chance to seek the Daoist’s guidance, but found no trace of him when he hurried after him.

Xing Yan and Chen Ziping climbed to Shangqing Palace on Mount Luofu, where Xing Yan was awed by its perilous paths and cloud-wreathed peaks. He met sect master Ling Xu Zi to discuss taking over Four Seas Hall, then recognized the former hall master who arrived for the handover.

• Xing Yan failed to catch the elderly Daoist he had met on the mountain path, while the Daoist rested in the nearby woods with a twisted ankle.
• Xing Yan and Chen Ziping reached Shangqing Palace’s gateway and climbed Flying Cloud Peak, crossing the perilous Gods and Ghosts Road.
• Xing Yan gazed at the peaks rising above the sea of clouds and arrived with Chen Ziping at Shangqing Temple on Flying Cloud Summit.
• Xing Yan and Chen Ziping asked to meet the sect master, and Xing Yan entered to meet Ling Xu Zi.
• Ling Xu Zi thanked Xing Yan’s family for ceding the Horseshoe site and summoned Liu Zongbai to discuss the Four Seas Hall handover.
• Xing Yan recognized Liu Zongbai when the former hall master entered the room.

Xing Yan settled into his quiet post as master of Four Seas Hall, studying Daoist scriptures while enduring the disdain of Shangqing Palace’s young disciples. Under the full moon, his ancient sword flew to his side and absorbed the moonlight, stirring the Great Splendor Dao Power within him as mysterious patterns appeared across its blade.

• Xing Yan took up residence at Four Seas Hall on Mount Luofu and learned that his duties were limited to safeguarding scriptures and occasionally inspecting farmland.
• Daoist Qingbai explained that Four Seas Hall had nearly been abolished and that the hall master’s position carried little status or responsibility.
• Xing Yan studied Daoist classics and the essays on Refining Spirit into Void while young disciples treated him with disdain because of his humble origins.
• More than ten days later, Xing Yan admired the full moon from Thousand Birds Cliff and sensed his spirit grow clear and empty.
• Xing Yan’s ancient sword flew from his stone dwelling and stood beside him as moonlight gathered into it and drew his Great Splendor Dao Power into motion.
• The sword glowed as moonlight vanished into its surface, and mysterious patterns began shifting across its blade.

On a moonlit night at Thousand Birds Cliff, Xing Yan’s Nameless Sword gathered the spiritual qi of Luofu and taught him the art of Refining Spirit into Void. The sword then flew noisily through the mountains, drawing Shangqing elders into pursuit before reappearing in Xing Yan’s hand.

• Xing Yan spent his quiet days at Four Seas Hall reading Daoist scriptures, practicing the flute, and pondering cultivation.
• On Thousand Birds Cliff, the Nameless Sword absorbed moonlight and spiritual qi, drawing Xing Yan into a harmonious vortex that left him feeling renewed.
• The sword pressed its tip against Xing Yan’s brow and imparted knowledge that clarified how Refining Spirit into Void could absorb and transform heaven and earth’s primal spirit.
• The Nameless Sword flew through Luofu’s mountains, its whistle alerting Shangqing elders, who rose into the sky and pursued it.
• After a flash of light and the sudden silence, the sword returned to Xing Yan’s palm as he worried about the trouble it had caused.

Xing Yan hid the strange sword after it evaded investigation and was summoned to a meeting about the mysterious sword-light over Mount Luofu. The leaders of Shangqing Palace found no answers, and Sect Leader Ling Xu refused to summon Qinghe from Horseshoe Mountain, leaving Xing Yan curious about their history.

• Xing Yan took the strange sword outside to examine it, then received a summons to Flying Cloud Summit and worried that the leaders had discovered its role in the previous night's disturbance.
• Du Ziheng and the other female disciples mocked Xing Yan's former work at a brothel, and Du Ziheng struck him with the Whirlwind Spell as they passed.
• Xing Yan reached the Council Hall, where Ling Xu introduced him to the leaders of Shangqing Palace and Qingming reported that the mysterious sword had vanished during their investigation.
• The leaders speculated about the sword's origin, while Xing Yan concealed that it was in his room and listened as Ling Ting suggested summoning Qinghe from Horseshoe Mountain.
• Ling Xu refused to summon Qinghe and ordered the leaders to keep their disciples vigilant and prevent them from provoking other orthodox sects.

Xing Yan continued absorbing heaven and earth qi while puzzling over the nature of his great splendor dao power, and he planned to visit little Qiong Rong in Luoyang. After a faint nighttime disturbance, he found fresh Vermilion Fruit hanging from a stone crane the next morning, suggesting someone had secretly visited his house.

• Xing Yan wondered what immortal spirit qi and great splendor dao power were, but could find no answer in his scriptures.
• He spoke with Chen Ziping and decided to seek bamboo-paper work so he could travel to Luoyang to see little Qiong Rong, but Master Qingyun said the sect had plenty of paper.
• Xing Yan practiced the Refining Spirit into Void method nightly and found that his great splendor dao power answered his thoughts more readily, though it did not grow much stronger.
• After Xing Yan finished meditating and lay awake pondering his dao power, he heard a faint sound, saw a shadow pass his window, and searched outside without finding anyone.
• The next morning, Xing Yan discovered fresh Vermilion Fruit hanging from the stone crane by his doorway and suspected that someone had visited during the night.

Xing Yan discovered that Qiong Rong had secretly brought him Vermilion Fruits and traveled from Luoyang to find him. After learning she planned to hide nearby and visit only at night, he invited her to stay and decided to make her his first disciple.

• Xing Yan ate the Vermilion Fruits left outside his home and resolved to watch for the visitor that night.
• Xing Yan used the Invisibility Spell to wait outside and saw Qiong Rong arrive with another cluster of fruit.
• Xing Yan revealed himself, and Qiong Rong anxiously asked whether he was angry that she had come to find him.
• Qiong Rong explained that she followed Xing Yan's familiar scent and that a red bird had shown her where he lived.
• Qiong Rong said she would hide in the bamboo grove and bring him fruit at night because the Daoist priests might target her.
• Xing Yan told Qiong Rong to stay with him and said he would ask the sect leader to let him take her as his first disciple.

Xing Yan took Qiong Rong to seek Ling Xu Zi’s approval to make her his disciple in Four Seas Hall, but Du Ziheng tried to take the girl away. Xing Yan froze Du Ziheng with a spell and challenged Huang Ran for accusing him of demonic sorcery.

• Xing Yan decided to present Qiong Rong openly as his first disciple and took her toward Shangqing Hall to seek Ling Xu Zi’s approval.
• On the mountain path, Du Ziheng recognized Xing Yan and accused him of deceiving Qiong Rong, then ordered Huang Ran to help take the girl to Purple Cloud Hall.
• Xing Yan shielded Qiong Rong and insisted that she wanted to join Four Seas Hall of her own accord.
• When Du Ziheng prepared to cast the Whirlwind Spell, Xing Yan suddenly froze her in place.
• Huang Ran accused Xing Yan of using demonic sorcery, and he called her Martial Niece and asserted his authority as master of Four Seas Hall.

Xing Yan spared Du Ziheng after freezing her, then brought Qiong Rong to meet Sect Master Lingxu and sought permission to admit her to Four Seas Hall. Lingxu told him he had authority to accept her, and the chapter ended with Xing Yan and Qiong Rong leaving Flying Cloud Summit together.

• Xing Yan used his Great Splendor Dao Power to undo the Iceheart Knot he had cast on Du Ziheng, and Hua Piaochen apologized for her offense.
• Xing Yan left with Qiong Rong for Flying Cloud Summit, where the sight of the sky briefly overwhelmed him before Qiong Rong’s smile restored his resolve.
• Xing Yan and Qiong Rong met Sect Master Lingxu in Clearheart Hall, where Qiong Rong cheerfully befriended the tiger belonging to the visiting Tiger-Subduing Daoist.
• Xing Yan asked Lingxu for permission to admit Qiong Rong to Four Seas Hall, and Lingxu explained that Xing Yan could decide the matter himself and directed him to register her.
• Lingxu asked whether Qinghe had taught Xing Yan Daoist arts, advised him to study diligently, and suggested he bring Qiong Rong to scripture lectures.
• Xing Yan and Qiong Rong left Shangqing Hall beneath golden sunlight, ready to return home together.

Xing Yan brought Qiong Rong to Four Seas Hall, where he discovered her effortless command of powerful spells and settled into a lively life with her on Thousand Birds Cliff. The chapter left them watching an approaching visitor make their way up the path to the cliff.

• Xing Yan registered Qiong Rong as a new member of Four Seas Hall, and Master Qingyun recorded her duties as assisting with documents and inspecting landed property.
• Xing Yan arranged a room for Qiong Rong and tried to teach her the Iceheart Knot, but she froze the spring and demonstrated that she could conjure fire and water by concentrating.
• Xing Yan warned Qiong Rong not to use her unusual spells carelessly, then accepted that her natural talent was beyond his ability to teach.
• Xing Yan bought Qiong Rong new clothes, and the two began spending their days together on Thousand Birds Cliff as he played flute and she chased the birds.
• One day, Xing Yan saw someone approaching along the stone path through the woods.

Xing Yan shared wine with Hua Piaochen, who apologized for Du Ziheng and told him about Qinghe’s celebrated past and the incident that led to his exile. After Hua Piaochen left, Qiong Rong accidentally shattered a bowl, and Xing Yan froze as if he had realized something.

• Hua Piaochen visited Thousand Birds Cliff with food and wine to apologize to Xing Yan on Du Ziheng’s behalf, and Xing Yan welcomed him.
• While drinking, Hua Piaochen praised Qinghe’s extraordinary cultivation and explained that Qinghe had been exiled after losing a sacred relic from the Tianyi Scripture Repository.
• Hua Piaochen told Xing Yan that Shangqing Palace held varied views on spirits and recounted how Ling Chu abandoned the Bedchamber Arts after building a family.
• Qiong Rong asked Xing Yan about the Bedchamber Arts, but he sent her to fetch cool tea and she lamented that she had not grown taller.
• After Hua Piaochen left, Qiong Rong dropped and shattered an earthenware bowl, and Xing Yan stood frozen at the sight of the shards.