Recaps

Jiang Che helped secure Yan We iwan a few days to leave her home after the sect reclaimed Yan Shicheng’s courtyard and seized the contents of his Alchemy Room. Zhang Pou granted the delay to curry favor with Jiang Che, whose standing with powerful sect figures seemed promising.

• Zhang Pou arrived with disciples to reclaim Yan Shicheng’s courtyard and remove the Alchemy Room’s contents for delivery to Jingyan Peak.
• Jiang Che persuaded Zhang Pou to give Yan We iwan a few days to find somewhere else to live.
• Zhang Pou’s disciples catalogued and seized the alchemy items, including the Stone Cauldron and Pill Casket, while Yan We iwan watched and cried.
• Zhang Erguo told Jiang Che he would stay with Yan We iwan and later take her to live at his place.
• Zhang Pou explained to a disciple that he had granted the delay because he wanted to gain Jiang Che’s favor.

After learning that outside favor could not replace strength, Jiang Che returned to the Instance and sent Jingyan Peak a letter exposing Dong Fan’s plot against Li Qiubai and Shen Suqiu. Daoist Ji Tian confirmed they had been rescued and Dong Fan arrested, but Jiang Che vanished as the Instance ended before she could investigate him.

• Jiang Che resolved to stay in seclusion and focus on cultivation, but entered the Instance once more to save Li Qiubai.
• Jiang Che paid a messenger to deliver Daoist Ji Tian a detailed letter about Shen Suqiu’s cultivation deviation, Dong Fan’s forbidden pill, and Li Qiubai’s impending murder.
• Jiang Che practiced swordsmanship while waiting for Jingyan Peak to respond.
• Daoist Ji Tian arrived and questioned Jiang Che about his identity and how he had learned the information.
• Ji Tian told Jiang Che that Li Qiubai and Shen Suqiu had been saved and Dong Fan apprehended, then tried to take Jiang Che to Jingyan for investigation.
• Jiang Che began to fade as the Instance ended, and Ji Tian failed to seize him.

Jiang Che received a Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart Pill as an instance reward but feared its dangers and could not explain its origin. When a pill made to fulfill Yan Shicheng's wish arrived for Yan Weiw an to decide whether to use, she chose to live, and Jiang Che handed her the pill.

• Jiang Che received a Grade Jia Rating and a Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart Pill, but decided he could not safely use or reveal it.
• Zhang Erguo brought Jiang Che to Yan Weiw an, where they found the completed pill and a note saying Yan Shicheng's daughter should decide for herself.
• Jiang Che explained to Zhang Erguo that Yan Shicheng had paid an enormous price for the pill, and Zhang Erguo realized the price may have been Yan Shicheng's life.
• Yan Weiw an decided to take the pill, saying she wanted to live for the people who cared for her.
• Jiang Che opened the Pill Casket and handed Yan Weiw an the Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart Pill, concealing it briefly with his sleeve.

Jiang Che secretly switched the Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart Pill before Yan Weiw an swallowed it, then spent the night fearing Daoist Ji Tian would discover what he had done. The next day, Yan Weiw an was taken to Jingyan Peak, and Jiang Che concluded that the pill had worked without apparent side effects.

• Jiang Che gave Yan Weiw an the pill he had switched in, and she fell into a peaceful sleep while Zhang Erguo stayed with her.
• Jiang Che returned home safely and kept the pill refined from Yan Shicheng hidden in his Storage Bag, planning to destroy it somewhere safer.
• Zhang Erguo told Jiang Che that Yan Weiw an had woken looking healthier, but a Qi Refining Practitioner from Jingyan Peak took her away after learning she had taken the medicine.
• Jiang Che reassured Zhang Erguo that Yan Weiw an's removal was good news and reasoned that her lack of abnormal reactions meant the switched pill likely had no side effects.

After Yan We iwan’s departure to Jingyan Peak, Zhang Erguo and Jiang Che devoted themselves to cultivation. Eighteen months later, Jiang Che emerged with all thirty-six apertures open, naturally formed Gang Force, and [Sword Nature], though he had not yet reached Qi Refining.

• Zhang Erguo told Jiang Che that Yan We iwan had become a disciple of True Disciple Autumn Feather on Jingyan Peak, then resolved to enter seclusion and improve himself.
• Jiang Che began cultivating in seclusion, using resources from Jingxiao Peak and True Disciple Autumn Feather while practicing techniques and studying Daoist and Buddhist texts.
• Jiang Che discovered that repeated runs of Willow Source Old Dream yielded fewer rewards, and he obtained the [Copper-Flame Talisman Mirror] during one run.
• After eighteen months, Jiang Che emerged as a Late Embryonic Breath cultivator with all thirty-six apertures open and Gang Force naturally formed.
• Jiang Che advanced his [Bodhi Heart Lamp] and cultivated [Sword Nature], but could not yet transform the technique because he had not reached Qi Refining.

Jiang Che emerged from seclusion with his sword nature attained and attended Hu Yan’s qi-refining celebration, where he reunited with former companions and learned of Zhao Bo’s failed breakthrough. The banquet ended its account with Zhang Erguo confronting Qiu Lian for deliberately omitting his gift from the register.

• Jiang Che recalled how Li Qiubai’s insights had helped him master sword nature and decided to attend Hu Yan’s celebration after receiving her invitation.
• Jiang Che arrived at Hu Yan’s banquet, declined a special seat in the inner hall, and joined the companions who had returned with him from Ailin.
• Jiang Che’s companions criticized Qiu Lian’s fawning behavior and discussed how Zhao Bo had failed to attain qi refining and left the mountain.
• Yue Zhong said he would attempt qi refining despite Zhao Bo’s failure.
• Zhang Erguo confronted Qiu Lian after discovering that Qiu had left his gift off the register, and Qiu publicly belittled the gift.

At Hu Yan’s Qi Refining banquet, Jiang Che rebuked Qiu Lian for insulting Zhang Erguo’s modest gift, and Hu Yan later apologized for the poor arrangements. After the banquet, Hu Yan revealed that she was deep in debt and needed a job, while Jiang Che said he had reached full aperture and planned to seek guidance on Jingxiao Peak.

• Jiang Che confronted Qiu Lian for belittling Zhang Erguo’s gift and brought Zhang Erguo into Hu Yan’s banquet.
• Hu Yan welcomed the guests, then stayed in the Inner Hall with the Qi Refining Practitioners, prompting resentment among some of Jiang Che’s companions.
• Zhang Erguo defended Hu Yan’s need to observe proper etiquette and maintain ties with fellow cultivators.
• Hu Yan apologized to the table by drinking three cups, easing the guests’ resentment.
• After the banquet, Hu Yan apologized to Jiang Che and Zhang Erguo, said she would dismiss Qiu Lian, and admitted she was deeply in debt and seeking work.
• Zhang Erguo said he had opened nine apertures in a year and a half, while Jiang Che revealed he had reached full aperture and planned to seek guidance on Jingxiao Peak.

After Jiang Che reached full aperture, Luo Wenling brought him to Jingxiao Peak to arrange a portion of spirit essence and warned him to strengthen his foundations before refining it. The stores had none available because Yu Qiao had bought both portions, and she offered one to Jiang Che in exchange for working under her; he politely refused, leaving her displeased.

• Luo Wenling told Jiang Che that a portion of [azure peace heavenly music qi] cost five hundred spirit stones and advised him to stabilize his cultivation before attempting qi refining.
• Jiang Che and Luo Wenling learned from Zeng Shuping that Yu Qiao had exchanged for both portions of spirit essence in the peak’s stores.
• Yu Qiao arrived, recognized Jiang Che as the disciple brought back by Martial Uncle Ji Qi, and offered him spirit essence if he would work under her.
• Jiang Che declined Yu Qiao’s offer, saying his cultivation was not yet stable enough to serve her properly, and Yu Qiao’s expression turned cold.

Jiang Che learned why Yu Qiao and Yu Cheng were at odds after Yu Qiao took the spirit essence he needed to advance. Yu Cheng agreed to seek Martial Uncle Ji Qi’s intervention, and Jiang Che went with him to ask Yu Qiao to hand it over.

• Yu Qiao attacked Luo Wenling after he criticized her for blocking Jiang Che’s cultivation, then left with both portions of spirit essence.
• Luo Wenling explained that Yu Qiao and Yu Cheng were rivals competing for resources and that Yu Qiao had taken the spirit essence to spite Yu Cheng and obstruct Jiang Che.
• Yu Cheng apologized to Jiang Che and said the next shipment would not arrive for three years, but Luo Wenling argued that waiting would waste Jiang Che’s cultivation momentum.
• Yu Cheng decided to ask Martial Uncle Ji Qi to intervene, and Jiang Che reluctantly agreed to go with him.

Jiang Che agreed to accompany Yu Cheng to complain to Ji Qi about Yu Qiao taking the Spirit Essence, despite wanting to avoid becoming a pawn in their conflict. Yu Qiao defended her exchange and refused Yu Cheng’s offer to give Jiang Che one of the two portions, so Ji Qi asked her to present the disciples she intended to prepare for.

• Jiang Che privately doubted the accounts of Yu Cheng and Yu Qiao’s feud, but told Yu Cheng he feared Yu Qiao would target him if he escalated matters.
• Luo Wenling argued that Jiang Che had no neutral path, and Jiang Che agreed to go with Yu Cheng to see Ji Qi.
• Yu Cheng explained Yu Qiao’s Spirit Essence exchange to Ji Qi, who summoned Yu Qiao and waited for her to arrive.
• Yu Qiao defended her decision by saying she wanted Spirit Essence for her own qualified disciples, while Luo Wenling argued that Jiang Che’s exceptional talent made him a stronger candidate.
• Yu Cheng admitted he had failed to prepare earlier and asked Yu Qiao to let Jiang Che have one portion, but she refused.
• Ji Qi asked Yu Qiao to bring forward the disciples she wanted to prepare, and five full-aperture youths entered the hall.

Yu Qiao argued that her five disciples deserved their chance at spirit essence, but Ji Qi ordered Wang Shutong to spar with Jiang Che. Jiang Che revealed his sword nature by defeating Wang Shutong with a single thrust, leaving the onlookers stunned.

• Ji Qi rejected Yu Qiao’s five candidates and asked her to give up one portion of azure peace heavenly music qi.
• Yu Qiao defended her disciples, praising Wang Shutong’s swordsmanship and arguing that their paths deserved protection too.
• Ji Qi ordered Wang Shutong to spar with Jiang Che, despite Yu Cheng’s warning that the match was unfair.
• Wang Shutong attacked Jiang Che with her Wave-Washed Tassel Swordsmanship and built momentum through several exchanges.
• Jiang Che merged the twelve forms of his Azure Torrent Sword Art into one thrust, broke Wang Shutong’s attack, and stopped his sword at her throat.
• Wang Shutong realized Jiang Che had sword nature, and the onlookers erupted in astonishment.

Jiang Che defeated Wang Shutong with a single stroke, but Yu Qiao had already used up the [Azure Peace Heavenly Music Qi] and was confined for three years. Ji Qi gave Jiang Che the magic sword [Qing Shang] in compensation, and Jiang Che accepted it gratefully.

• Jiang Che revealed that he had cultivated [Sword Nature] during Embryonic Breath and defeated Wang Shutong, leaving her ashamed.
• Yu Qiao challenged Jiang Che to face four cultivators at once, and Ji Qi rebuked her for her shameless demands.
• Yu Qiao admitted she had used all the [Azure Peace Heavenly Music Qi], then provoked Ji Qi until he ordered her into genuine three-year confinement.
• Ji Qi apologized to Jiang Che for the lost Spirit Essence, and Jiang Che said he could wait.
• Ji Qi gifted Jiang Che the magic sword [Qing Shang], and Jiang Che accepted it gratefully.

After Jiang Che demonstrated sword nature and received Qing Shang, Yu Cheng apologized and offered him a mission to collect azure peace heavenly music qi at Duckweed Marsh in Pingli. Jiang Che accepted the chance to legitimize and trade his converted spirit essence, while recognizing Yu Cheng’s role in securing Yu Qiao’s punishment.

• Luo Wenling and Yu Cheng praised Jiang Che’s sword nature and Qing Shang after they returned to Yu Cheng’s cave abode.
• Yu Cheng gave Jiang Che Gang-Tempering Powder as compensation and apologized for using his name to complain against Yu Qiao.
• Yu Cheng explained that he could send Jiang Che to inspect spirit essence harvesting at Duckweed Marsh and seek permission for him to collect a portion of azure peace heavenly music qi.
• Jiang Che realized Yu Cheng had waited to propose the mission so Yu Qiao would still be punished and Yu Cheng would avoid appearing to have engineered the complaint.
• Jiang Che decided he could let go of his grievance against Yu Cheng and considered using the Pingli trip to give converted spirit essence a legitimate origin and obtain spirit stones.

Jiang Che prepared to travel to Pingli on a nominal inspection assignment, where he hoped to legitimize his Spirit Essence and earn money. Before departing, he invited indebted Senior Sister Hu Yan to accompany him, and she agreed to serve as his protector.

• Luo Wenling told Jiang Che that the Pingli inspection was mostly a formality and that he should focus on cultivation.
• After two months of guidance on Jingxiao Peak, Jiang Che said goodbye to Guo'er and Hu Yan before leaving for Pingli.
• Hu Yan explained that she had debts, no suitable position, and planned to wander in search of work.
• Jiang Che invited Hu Yan to accompany him on his inspection assignment in Pingli.
• Hu Yan agreed to go with Jiang Che without asking about payment, and he planned to share any profits with her.

Jiang Che traveled separately from Hu Yan and secretly combined twenty-four strands of spirit essence into a portion of [azure peace heavenly music qi]. After preparing for Qi Refining, he began attempting to refine qi within the Seven Apertures Exquisite Instance.

• Jiang Che arranged for Hu Yan to travel nearby in secret and come to his aid only if he needed her or was in danger.
• Three days after leaving the sect, Jiang Che hid in a hollow tree and converted twenty-five strands of [primordial origin first spirit] into twenty-four strands of [azure peace heavenly music qi].
• Jiang Che stored the strands in a [Wind-Nourishing Bottle], waited for them to merge, then absorbed the complete portion into his body.
• Jiang Che concluded that his years of using [azure peace heavenly music qi] had made him familiar with it and that he only needed to strengthen his apertures before entering Qi Refining.
• Jiang Che entered the Seven Apertures Exquisite Instance, drew a complete portion of [azure peace heavenly music qi] into his body, and began attempting to refine qi.

Jiang Che failed an impulsive attempt to break through into Qi Refining, then completed three runs of the seven apertures exquisite Instance and traveled to Pingli for his inspector mission. He reunited with Zhao Bo at the Azure Mystic outer gate Hall Department, where Zhao Bo arranged his lodging and a welcoming banquet.

• Jiang Che's reckless attempt to break through left him badly injured, and he stopped trying in later runs, focusing instead on practicing with [Qing Shang].
• Jiang Che earned A-grade ratings in three runs of the seven apertures exquisite Instance, obtaining two wisps of [primordial origin first spirit] rewards and a [Seven Aperture Exquisite Heart Pill]; he destroyed the pill formed from Yan Shicheng's wish without causing a disturbance.
• Jiang Che traveled to Pingli and headed to the Azure Mystic outer gate Hall Department, where he unexpectedly encountered Zhao Bo.
• Jiang Che told Zhao Bo he had come to serve as an inspector, and Zhao Bo welcomed him and helped him settle into guest quarters.
• Zhao Bo reported Jiang Che's arrival to the Hall Department officials and returned with his mission documents and authorization, then invited him to a welcoming banquet that evening.

Jiang Che arrived in Pingli to inspect the accounts and collect a portion of azure peace heavenly music qi, but the local officials claimed their storehouse was empty. After Jiang Che's pressure forced Cao Jian to promise an early harvest, Cao Jian told Zhao Zhisong that his lineage would have to provide the qi, revealing a conflict over Pingli's depleted reserves and future quota.

• Jiang Che reassured Cao Jian, Zhao Zhisong, and Cui Xuezhao that his inspection was routine, then asked why Pingli had no azure peace heavenly music qi in stock.
• Cao Jian explained that collecting the qi depleted the marsh's spiritual wind and that the next scheduled harvest was not due until the following year.
• Jiang Che's silence prompted Cao Jian to arrange an early collection, promising to deliver Jiang Che's portion within a few months.
• Cao Jian told Zhao Zhisong that the Zhao Lineage would provide the qi and count it toward the quota due to the sect in three years.
• Zhao Zhisong protested that his lineage had already contributed to the previous shortfall, but Cao Jian threatened to report the quota failure to the peak.

Cao Jian pressured Zhao Zhisong to provide a portion of Spirit Essence so Jiang Che would leave without investigating Pingli, while Jiang Che spent two months quietly cultivating and going through the motions of his inspection. When Cao Jian finally demanded the essence, Zhao Zhisong said the Lineages could barely gather any, leaving Cao Jian with no clear way to satisfy Jiang Che.

• Cao Jian threatened to make the Zhao Lineage bear every charge if Zhao Zhisong refused to provide a portion of Spirit Essence, and Zhao agreed to arrange it within a month.
• Jiang Che spent the next two months cultivating in the guest quarters and conducting only announced, routine inspections, while Cao Jian and the Hall Department treated him courteously.
• Zhao Bo visited Jiang Che less often, and Hu Yan remained out of sight as the city stayed calm.
• After two months passed without receiving the essence, Cao Jian summoned Zhao Zhisong and demanded to know where it was.
• Zhao Zhisong said his Lineage and the other Lineages had searched Duckweed Marsh but could gather only a few strands of Spirit Essence.

Cao Jian pressured Zhao Zhisong to make up Duckweed Marsh’s failing spirit-essence harvest, even ordering him to kill Wind Spirits, while Jiang Che planned to search the marsh for a legitimate source for his own qi. Before Jiang Che could go, he was summoned to the main hall, where Zhao Bo knelt before the three officials and a gathered crowd.

• Cao Jian rejected Zhao Zhisong’s proposal to report Duckweed Marsh’s decline and ordered him to kill Wind Spirits if necessary to meet the harvest quota.
• Jiang Che learned the promised azure peace heavenly music qi had not arrived, but decided to use his visit to Duckweed Marsh to establish a plausible source for the qi he already possessed.
• Cao Jian tried to dissuade Jiang Che from visiting the marsh and agreed to let him go alone in two days; afterward, he and Zhao Zhisong decided to allow the visit.
• Before Jiang Che could set out, he was called to the main hall, where he found Cao Jian, Zhao Zhisong, and Cui Xuezhao presiding over a crowd while Zhao Bo knelt in the center.

Jiang Che heard Zhao Bo accuse Cao Jian of corruption and warn that Duckweed Marsh could no longer produce enough Spirit Essence for the sect’s quota. As Cao Jian and Zhao Zhisong waited for his judgment, Jiang Che realized the marsh’s failing production was the real crisis and that his request had merely triggered a long-brewing conflict.

• Cui Xuezhao explained that Zhao Bo had publicly accused Cao Jian of imposing excessive levies, embezzling sect funds, reselling [Azure Peace Heavenly Music Qi], and concealing Duckweed Marsh’s decline.
• Zhao Bo appealed to Jiang Che, insisting that Duckweed Marsh was drying up and that Pingli’s lineages would face death if they failed to deliver the required Spirit Essence.
• Cao Jian tried to attack Zhao Bo, but Zhao Zhisong stopped him, and Cui Xuezhao ordered Zhao Bo taken away under guard.
• After the disciples left, Cao Jian dismissed Zhao Bo’s accusations as baseless, while Zhao Zhisong accused him of trying to silence the truth and the two argued again.
• Jiang Che concluded that Duckweed Marsh’s failing production was the true source of the conflict and that his request to withdraw Spirit Essence had only brought the crisis to a head.
• Cao Jian, Zhao Zhisong, and Cui Xuezhao fell silent and looked to Jiang Che for his decision.

Jiang Che tried to keep the dispute between Cao Jian and the local Lineages from erupting while insisting on inspecting Duckweed Marsh. After Cao Jian secretly sent him a Wind-Nourishing Bottle and a written defense, Jiang Che recognized that both sides were implicated in the marsh’s decline.

• Jiang Che said Zhao Bo’s testimony alone could not convict Cao Jian, but ordered that Zhao Bo be kept safe and demanded a clear answer about Duckweed Marsh’s condition.
• Zhao Zhisong challenged Cao Jian’s objections to an inspection, and Jiang Che decided that Cao Jian, Zhao Zhisong, and the third cultivator would accompany him to Duckweed Marsh the next day.
• Jiang Che searched for the familiar azure light but found no new Instance.
• Jiang Han brought Jiang Che a Wind-Nourishing Bottle from Cao Jian and argued that the Lineages, not his master, had depleted Duckweed Marsh.
• Jiang Han returned with Cao Jian’s written denial and guarantee that the marsh could still supply eight portions of Spirit Essence in three years; Jiang Che read it alongside the shady account books and understood that the factions were both entangled in the affair.

Jiang Che concluded that Cao Jian, the local lineages, and the sect all shared responsibility for Duckweed Marsh’s depletion, but he avoided accusing anyone in his inspection report. After Cao Jian and Zhao Zhisong agreed to meet at the Zhao Lineage Grounds, the inspection party headed there to discuss how to proceed.

• Jiang Che attached Cao Jian’s written defense to his report without alteration and accepted the Spirit Essence Cao Jian had delivered.
• Jiang Han proposed a risky plan to Cao Jian, who hesitated and said he needed to consult Lord Xu.
• Cao Jian stopped Zhao Zhisong from demonstrating the marsh’s poor qi yield and suggested the group talk at the Zhao Lineage Grounds instead.
• Zhao Zhisong consulted a lineage elder, then agreed to host Jiang Che and the others at the Zhao Lineage Grounds.