Chapter Summaries

Jiang Che warned Du Yongchang that Steward Wei’s sword-forging could lead to a catastrophe, then led Azure Mystic disciples to arrest Zhang Guilu. After ordinary questioning failed, Jiang Che forced Zhang Guilu to take Heart-Questioning Powder and prepared to interrogate him.

• Du Yongchang told Jiang Che that Old Wei had started the furnace, and Jiang Che warned that the sword’s refinement could cause a catastrophe as severe as another Demon Calamity.
• Du Yongchang sent a flying message to County Commandant Lin, arranged protection for Steward Wei, and ordered Jiang Che to arrest Hundred-Man Commander Zhang with Heart-Questioning Powder.
• Jiang Che and more than twenty Azure Mystic disciples reached the army camp, where Hu Yan had captured Zhang Guilu and soldiers were blocking the entrance.
• Jiang Che and Hu Yan restrained Zhang Guilu when he tried to kill himself, then took him into a tent for questioning.
• After Zhang Guilu resisted ordinary interrogation, Hu Yan held him down while Jiang Che forced him to swallow Heart-Questioning Powder.

Jiang Che used Zhang Guilu’s drugged memories to discover that the Master was Puxin and was hiding beneath Ailin’s East City wall. As Jiang Che and Hu Yan hurried to confront him, a vast wave of demonic qi erupted near the Hall Department, revealing that the sword-refining furnace had gone wrong.

• Heart-Questioning Powder left Zhang Guilu unable to answer questions about the Master, so Jiang Che used the Bodhi Heart Lamp to search his memories.
• Jiang Che learned that the Master had exploited the military households’ suffering with promises of deliverance and planned to end their suffering that day.
• Jiang Che recognized the Master as Puxin and found his hideout in a poor residential quarter beneath the East City wall.
• Jiang Che and Hu Yan left five Azure Mystic disciples to escort Zhang Guilu and led fifteen others toward East City.
• Jiang Che spotted enormous black clouds of demonic qi rising near the Hall Department and realized the sword-refining furnace had caused trouble.

Demonic qi overwhelmed the Hall Department as a fiend took control of Steward Wei and wielded the Demon Sword against Du Yongchang, Steward Pang, and County Commandant Li. Meanwhile, Jiang Che’s group continued toward the Master in East City, where Jiang Che discovered that the gathering civilians regarded the Azure Mystic disciples as enemies.

• Du Yongchang, Steward Pang, and County Commandant Li failed to break through the sword formation surrounding Steward Wei’s artifact-forging room.
• Steward Wei opened his eyes, took up the Demon Sword, and revealed that a fiend had possessed him.
• The fiend unleashed the Demon Sword’s full power, forcing all three Qi Refining Cultivators to fight desperately.
• Du Yongchang thought of Jiang Che and resolved to keep fighting until he had to preserve his life and retreat.
• Jiang Che persuaded his group to continue their mission toward the Master instead of returning to the Hall Department.
• Jiang Che used the [Bodhi Heart Lamp] on the civilians blocking the streets and found that they harbored malice toward the Azure Mystic disciples.

Jiang Che and Hu Yan's Azure Mystic party fought through an ambush in East City and reached the courtyard where Puxin was conducting a demonic ritual. Hu Yan launched an attack on Puxin as the chapter ended.

• Jiang Che recognized that the East City crowd resented the Azure Mystic disciples because Ailin's people were trapped in hardship and viewed the party as enemies.
• Azure Mystic disciples shoved through the crowd until soldiers hidden among the people and on nearby walls ambushed them with arrows and blades.
• Jiang Che used the Bodhi Lamp to identify hidden attackers as the party fought back, killing dozens and losing two disciples before scattering the crowd.
• Jiang Che led the survivors to a courtyard where dozens of people chanted the Strange Scripture around a blood-painted formation, and he recognized the grown-up Puxin at its center.
• Hu Yan ordered the Azure Mystic disciples to attack and charged Puxin with her saber.

Jiang Che fought alongside the Azure Mystic disciples against Puxin and the Ailin Outer Gate followers, but Puxin revealed corrupted versions of White Dragon Temple techniques. After Puxin attacked Jiang Che, his Bodhi Evil Lamp trapped him in a mindscape of fabricated painful memories.

• Puxin held off Hu Yan and Zhao Bo while the outnumbered Azure Mystic disciples battled the Ailin Outer Gate followers, with Jiang Che helping keep their line standing.
• Jiang Che struck at Puxin with Candlelight Thousand-Jin Finger, but Puxin countered with a corrupted version and severely wounded him.
• Jiang Che asked Puxin about Master Chunji, provoking Puxin to break away from Hu Yan and Zhao Bo and attack him.
• Jiang Che used Cloud-Wrapped Empty Valley to block Puxin's Vajra strike, allowing Hu Yan and Zhao Bo to attack Puxin from both sides.
• Puxin fixed Jiang Che with his black-purple eyes and used Bodhi Evil Lamp to plunge him into a mindscape filled with fabricated memories meant to crush his will.

Jiang Che fought Puxin’s assault on his mind, glimpsed the memories behind Puxin’s fall and the Ailin Demon Calamity, then entered the Little Hidden Temple instance to seek answers from Master Chunji. The chapter ended with Jiang Che greeting Chunji while young Puxin wondered if he was a bad person.

• Puxin attacked Jiang Che’s mind with the evil version of the Bodhi Heart Lamp while Hu Yan and Zhao Bo fought him in the courtyard.
• Jiang Che unleashed sarira sandalwood chant essence, broke through Puxin’s defenses, and saw how the Wang Clan’s steward imprisoned and mistreated Puxin after Master Chunji’s sacrifice.
• Jiang Che saw Puxin call the Demon Sword “Master,” slaughter the Wang Clan, and summon the Demon Calamity in Ailin Old City.
• Puxin severed the connection between their heart lamps to stop Jiang Che from seeing more, leaving both men mentally damaged.
• Jiang Che entered the Little Hidden Temple instance from fourteen years earlier to seek answers from Master Chunji.
• Jiang Che greeted Master Chunji, while young Puxin became wary of his strange, compassionate gaze.

Jiang Che learned that Puxin’s devotion to the Demon Sword came from Chunji’s evil reincarnation, and Chunji taught him how to weaken it with the True Dharma scripture. After completing the instance, Jiang Che returned with a plan to break the deadlock.

• Chunji explained that the Evil Spirit might have influenced Puxin, then revealed that his reincarnations alternated between utmost good and utmost evil.
• Jiang Che realized Puxin had acknowledged his real master, Chunji, in an evil life of reincarnation.
• Chunji taught Jiang Che that the True Dharma scripture could weaken the Evil Spirit if chanted into its heart through the array and a magic artifact.
• Chunji agreed that severing his evil reincarnation was necessary to prevent calamity and save Ailin and Jiang Che.
• Jiang Che endured the night’s battle, received another portion of Buddha Nature from Chunji, and earned the Grade Seven Iron Body Without Leakage reward.
• Jiang Che left the instance with an idea for breaking the deadlock.

Jiang Che used the True Dharma scripture and the Tin Staff to weaken Puxin, allowing Hu Yan to kill him. After the remaining enemies were slain, Jiang Che stopped Zhao Bo from destroying the blood formation and claimed he could resolve the problem, but Zhao Bo doubted him.

• Jiang Che trusted Chunji's explanation of the calamity and used the Bodhi Lamp to locate the Tin Staff at the blood formation's core.
• Puxin tried to stop Jiang Che, but Hu Yan and Zhao Bo held him back.
• Jiang Che recited the True Dharma scripture of the Perfectly Adorned Sutra of Cyclic Transference and Prophecy, weakening Puxin's Reverse Dharma energy.
• Hu Yan killed Puxin, and Jiang Che briefly helped deliver his soul before joining the others in defeating the remaining enemies.
• Jiang Che stopped Zhao Bo from destroying the blood formation and said he had a method to resolve the problem, but Zhao Bo questioned whether he could be trusted.

Jiang Che carried the Tin Staff to the ruined Hall Department and used a smoke signal to coordinate with Hu Yan and the others as he recited scripture. The formation began to glow, and the Tin Staff connected to the battlefield just as Steward Wei’s aura shifted.

• Jiang Che convinced Zhao Bo to remain with Hu Yan and activate the blood formation after receiving his signal, then hurried to the Hall Department with the Tin Staff.
• Jiang Che found the Hall Department in ruins, sent up a scarlet smoke signal, and began reciting scripture with the Tin Staff across his knees.
• Hu Yan led the Azure Mystic disciples into the blood formation and activated it, with Zhao Bo and the others following her.
• Jiang Che sensed a faint connection from the Tin Staff to the battlefield and continued reciting the scripture with renewed vigor.
• Du Yongchang struggled against the demonic qi with the Wood-Pomegranate Azure Cauldron, then sensed a change in Steward Wei’s aura.

As Jiang Che chanted the True Dharma, Chunji's evil spirit weakened, turning the battle in favor of Du Yongchang, Pang, and Li. Chunji raised corpse-born Demon Monsters to attack Jiang Che, but Zhang Erguo arrived to protect him.

• Du Yongchang noticed Chunji's sudden weakness and urged Pang and Li to attack with all their strength.
• Chunji realized the True Dharma scripture was entering his consciousness through the formation and unleashed demonic qi into the battlefield's corpses.
• Jiang Che continued chanting as the corpses fused into Demon Monsters that closed in around him.
• Zhang Erguo smashed the nearest Demon Monster with his Gourd Hammer and vowed to hold his ground while Jiang Che chanted.

Zhang Erguo fought to protect Jiang Che while Jiang Che chanted the True Dharma to strike the Evil Spirit through the formation. Jiang Che's effort stopped the demon monsters from reviving, and he sensed that the Evil Spirit had been gravely wounded.

• Zhang Erguo stayed behind to recover after the demonic qi outbreak, then stepped in when he saw Jiang Che surrounded by danger.
• Zhang Erguo killed several embryonic breath demon monsters but was overwhelmed as transforming force monsters joined the fight.
• A sword-wielding rescuer killed the monster that knocked Zhang Erguo down, and Zhang Erguo thanked Senior Brother Guo'er before passing out.
• Jiang Che used the last of his [primordial origin first spirit] to strengthen his chanting and complete a powerful strike against the Evil Spirit.
• The demonic qi stopped spawning monsters, and Jiang Che sensed that Du, Pang, and Li had helped inflict enormous damage on the Evil Spirit.

After the evil spirit was defeated, Jiang Che risked approaching the Hall Department and absorbed a huge amount of transmigration energy from Steward Wei’s corpse. The Demon Sword was sealed, ending the immediate danger, and Jiang Che awaited the sect’s promised reward.

• Jiang Che checked Zhang Erguo’s injuries, moved him to a room, and then cautiously headed toward the Hall Department.
• The three Qi Refining masters defeated Steward Wei, but the Demon Sword escaped and attacked Jiang Che before Du Yongchang intercepted it.
• Du Yongchang praised Jiang Che’s service and pursued the fleeing Demon Sword with the other masters.
• Jiang Che approached Steward Wei’s corpse and absorbed 310 points of transmigration energy, bringing his total to 525.
• The three Qi Refining masters returned with the Demon Sword sealed, and the last lingering danger subsided.

Jiang Che prepared to explain his role in defeating the Demon Sword and faced questioning from three Qi Refining masters about his suspicious knowledge and methods. The chapter ended as he began to offer a carefully shaped account while concealing the truth about his abilities.

• Jiang Che recovered to about seventy percent after a night of rest and reflected on his depleted resources, transmigration energy, and contribution to the battle.
• Jiang Che recognized that Li and Pang had considered interrogating him as a suspect, but Du Yongchang's public praise had established him as a meritorious servant and protected him.
• Jiang Che went to the County Office, where Azure Mystic disciples gathered to answer questions about the previous day's events.
• After Hu Yan reassured him, Jiang Che entered the inner hall and faced questions from County Commandant Li and the other Qi Refining masters.
• Jiang Che decided not to lie or reveal his instance-related secrets, and began giving the masters a carefully constructed explanation.

Jiang Che explained his discoveries and rapid mastery of Bodhi Heart Lamp to the Azure Mystic officials, carefully letting them infer a misleading account while keeping his statements true. Du Yongchang defended Jiang Che’s talent and standing, but the chapter ended when a white-robed monk appeared in the room holding Jiang Che’s submitted copy.

• Jiang Che gave the officials his account of finding Bodhi Heart Lamp, learning it, and discovering how to restrain the evil spirit in the sword.
• Du Yongchang ended County Commandant Li’s questioning and told Jiang Che to rest while they awaited an elder from Azure Mystic.
• After Jiang Che left, County Commandant Li questioned his rapid progress, but Du Yongchang defended him by citing his talent and connection to Jingxiao Peak.
• County Commandant Li noticed that Jiang Che’s submitted copy had vanished, and the three officials saw a monk in white robes and a golden kasaya reading it.

Chunhui of the White Dragon Temple arrived in Ailin to find his reincarnated senior brother and reclaim the temple’s supreme art. After confronting Jiang Che, he demanded that Jiang Che become a monk or face death, leaving Jiang Che desperate for the Azure Mystic Sect elder to arrive.

• Chunhui revealed himself to County Commandant Li, Du Yongchang, and Steward Pang, and said he had come to retrieve Chunji’s reincarnation and reclaim the White Dragon Temple’s supreme art.
• County Commandant Li left, while Du Yongchang failed to persuade Chunhui to wait for the Azure Mystic Sect elder.
• Jiang Che returned to his room and found Chunhui waiting with the handwritten copy of [Bodhi Heart Lamp].
• Jiang Che explained that he had obtained the Buddhist formula and its essence from the Little Hidden Temple, and Chunhui demanded that he join the White Dragon Temple or be killed.
• Chunhui postponed Jiang Che’s answer until he found Chunji’s reincarnation and left, while Jiang Che resolved that he did not want to become a monk.

Jiang Che questioned Master Chunji about Chunhui’s demand that he enter the White Dragon Temple and learned how Chunji’s seven-life cycle worked. Chunji offered Jiang a phrase to use if Chunhui pressured him again, though Jiang remained unwilling to become a monk.

• Jiang Che entered the instance and met Master Chunji in the Bamboo Grove fourteen years earlier.
• Jiang Che told Chunji how Puxin and the Demon Sword’s evil spirit had been dealt with, and explained Chunhui’s demand that he become a monk.
• Chunji explained that his seven lives would be judged together, with the seventh meant to reconcile the karma of the previous six.
• Chunji said he hoped to attain good fruition rather than have the White Dragon Temple raise his seventh incarnation toward neutrality.
• Jiang Che told Chunji he wanted freedom and did not wish to become a monk or pursue reincarnation.
• Chunji advised Jiang to tell Chunhui, “The precept blade saves oneself, not the hearts of others.”

After failing to find a way to stop Chunhui, Jiang Che learned that Chunji had reincarnated as a rapidly aging infant. Chunhui reached the child but was trapped by Daoist Jifang and three other Azure Mystic Foundation Establishment cultivators, who refused to let him take the child or Jiang Che.

• Chunji's story about the butcher taught Chunhui that forced goodness could bring harm, and Chunji advised Jiang Che to repeat his words if Chunhui tried to coerce him.
• Jiang Che left the dungeon without a breakthrough and spent three days shut away, asking Zhang Erguo and Hu Yan to report anything unusual.
• Zhang Erguo told Jiang Che that a newborn in East City had grown into a three-year-old in three days before a strange wind carried him away.
• Jiang Che concluded that the child was Chunji's reincarnation and wondered why Chunhui had not found him sooner.
• Daoist Jifang revealed that he had hidden the child's presence from Chunhui and summoned three fellow Foundation Establishment cultivators to surround him.
• Chunhui demanded that Azure Mystic let him take Chunji's reincarnation and Jiang Che, but Jifang refused.

The reincarnated child proposed a compromise that let him stay in Azure Mystic while Jiang Che became a lay disciple of White Dragon Temple. Chunhui confronted Jiang Che for his decision, then left after recognizing a private phrase as a message from his senior brother’s reincarnation, and four Azure Mystic cultivators appeared before Jiang Che.

• The reincarnated child proposed that Jiang Che become a lay disciple of White Dragon Temple while he himself cultivated in Azure Mystic.
• Chunhui and Daoist Jifang accepted the compromise, and Chunhui asked to speak with Jiang Che alone about whether he would leave for White Dragon Temple.
• Chunhui pressured Jiang Che to answer, and Jiang Che quoted a saying that only Chunhui and his senior brother had known.
• Chunhui recognized the saying as a message from his senior brother’s reincarnation, placed a restriction on Jiang Che, and vanished.
• Jiang Che briefly believed the ordeal was over, then saw four people in his room.

After the White Dragon Temple monk left, Azure Mystic's Foundation Establishment elders debated which peak should claim Jiang Che, and he secured a place at Jingxiao Peak by reminding them that Jingxiao disciples had recruited him. He stayed in Ailin to finish his assignment while the city celebrated its survival and honored him.

• Jiang Che told the elders that he had refused the monk because he did not want to become one, then explained that he had learned how to drive Chunhui away from the Reincarnated Spirit Child.
• The elders arranged for Chen Ji and the sealed Broken Sword to go to Evening Rainbow Peak, then argued over which peak would take Jiang Che.
• Jiang Che cited Yu Cheng and Luo Wenling's role in bringing him to Azure Mystic, and Ji Qi claimed him for Jingxiao Peak.
• Ji Qi ordered Jiang Che to finish the remaining two months of his Ailin assignment before returning to the sect.
• Du Yongchang, Steward Pang, and County Commandant Li held a banquet to celebrate Ailin's survival, where Jiang Che became the center of attention.

After the victory banquet, Jiang Che credited Hu Yan and Zhang Erguo for their contributions, and Hu Yan told them she planned to attempt Qi Refining. Her explanation of the cultivation process left Jiang Che wondering how his [primordial origin first spirit] fit into its requirements.

• Jiang Che led Du Yongchang, Pang, and Li to praise Hu Yan and Zhang Erguo for their roles in the operation, and Du Yongchang promised their contributions would be reported to the sect.
• Hu Yan said she would enter seclusion and attempt Qi Refining as soon as they returned, since she was nearing the fifteen-year limit.
• Hu Yan explained how cultivators opened all thirty-six apertures, formed gang force, gathered compatible spirit essence, and used a matching Qi Refining method.
• Hu Yan said she had prepared the resources and spirit essence for one breakthrough attempt and resolved that she had to succeed.
• After Hu Yan and Zhang Erguo left, Jiang Che considered Hu Yan’s warning that an unopened body could not contain spirit essence and wondered about his [primordial origin first spirit].