Chapter Summaries

Su Jiu drew Moon Scorch from the pool wall and completed its master-binding ritual as the pool began to collapse. After escaping the water, she and her companions found themselves surrounded by Mask Man and his people, with their spiritual qi confined.

• Su Jiu was drawn to the sword as its rust and the wall’s incantations disappeared, and Chu Luohen recognized it as Moon Scorch, a spirit treasure ranked third.
• Su Jiu grasped Moon Scorch and completed the master-binding ritual, while Chu Luohen stopped Yun Huanling from approaching her.
• As rocks fell and the pool shook, Su Jiu regained control, pulled Yun Huanling away from a falling rock, and led the group toward the exit.
• Three hostile fish attacked, and Su Jiu identified them as the creatures from Mask Man’s courtyard pond before destroying one with her spiritual qi.
• Su Jiu, Chu Luohen, and Yun Huanling emerged from the pond to find Mask Man and others surrounding them, and discovered their spiritual qi had been confined.
• Su Jiu asked Mask Man whether everything had been within his calculations and concluded that it had not after noticing him briefly stiffen.

Su Jiu confronted Mask Man as he prepared the Heavenly Star Rotation Technique and threatened to kill Chu Luohen. She and Ming Yun were placed on the altar as the moon’s brief ritual window approached, while Su Jiu learned that her other companion was missing.

• Mask Man attacked Yun Huanling and revealed that Chu Luohen’s master was responsible for his ruined face.
• Su Jiu warned Mask Man that killing Chu Luohen could ruin the ritual, and Chu Luohen admitted he had been ready to break through the barrier at the cost of his meridians.
• Su Jiu secretly told Chu Luohen she had summoned Xia Jue and the Enforcement Hall, then threatened to make the others gain nothing if Chu Luohen died.
• Mask Man transformed the surroundings into an altar and sent Su Jiu and Ming Yun to stand on separate points of its star map.
• Su Jiu noticed the moon had not yet disappeared and asked Mask Man where he had taken her other companion.

Mask Man revealed that Qi Song had sided with him and used Qi Song’s resentment toward Su Jiu to help prepare the fate-pattern exchange. Mask Man began the ritual and admitted he had lured Su Jiu into the trap because he feared she might kill herself if left unrestrained.

• Mask Man let Qi Song leave his room, and Qi Song agreed to help him in exchange for being allowed to return home.
• Ming Yun taunted Su Jiu about the coming fate-pattern exchange, while Su Jiu questioned whether it would succeed.
• Qi Song accused Su Jiu of abandoning him and letting Huo Yun die, and rejected her explanation of what had happened.
• Qi Song cut his finger and put twenty-four drops of blood into wine cups to conceal the ritual from heaven’s secrets.
• Mask Man took three fragments from Ming Yun’s Storage Ring and placed one by Ming Yun, revealing that his true objective had always been Su Jiu.
• Mask Man explained that he had set the trap because Su Jiu might kill herself if nothing external restrained her.

Su Jiu watched Mask Man activate the altar’s formation as yin resentful qi rose around her, while Chu Luohen calculated that she had only a quarter of an hour before the Heavenly Star Rotation Technique began. The chapter then shifted to the Water Moon School’s mountain gate, where the Seven Great Sect gathered and Heavenly Secret Sect disciples worried over their injured senior and the threat within their own sect.

• Mask Man placed the final Mirror Fragment, sealed the Sacrificial Altar in red light, and activated the formation as the fragments released yin resentful qi.
• Su Jiu felt something dissipating inside her, but Mask Man suppressed her spiritual qi when she tried to examine herself.
• Chu Luohen estimated that the enclosure would fill with yin resentful qi within a quarter of an hour and considered how he could save Su Jiu.
• An hour earlier, Xia Jue and Enforcement Hall disciples gathered outside the Water Moon School as the school mobilized its forces to keep outsiders from entering the courtyard.
• Gong Wusheng had persuaded Qian Ling to bring her people, and the Seven Great Sect arrived to confront the Water Moon School.
• Heavenly Secret Sect disciples discussed their wounded senior and the possibility that the culprit was one of their secluded elders until Hongguang caught and reprimanded them.

The sects attacked the Water Moon School, while Tang Wuchen’s Medicine Gate treated the wounded and he reflected on why his master had joined the assault. Tong Qi protected Tang Wuchen from a disruptive Heavenly Dawn Sect disciple, leaving the battle and the Water Moon School’s fate unresolved.

• Sect Leader Li led the Heavenly Dawn Sect to join the assault, claiming they had come to eliminate Ming Yun, whom she called Shui Rao'er's spy.
• The Heavenly Secret Sect broke the Water Moon School’s first Mountain-Guarding Grand Formation, and the attacking sects clashed with the school’s gate guards.
• Tang Wuchen treated the wounded and recalled that his master had joined the battle after hearing Su Jiu might be trapped in the Water Moon School.
• A Heavenly Dawn Sect disciple demanded treatment and attacked Tang Wuchen while he was tending to a patient.
• Tong Qi stopped the attacker’s fireball and sent it back at him, then exposed how little the man had contributed to the battle.

After the Heavenly Secret Sect's formation leader was poisoned, Tang Wuchen said only a Water-Bi Clear Essence Pill could save him, but the rare eighth-rank pill had to be found within an hour. Tong Qi went to seek help, while the leader's junior disciples struggled to find anyone willing to trade for the medicine.

• Tang Wuchen thanked Tong Qi for helping him, and the two discussed their earlier fight and the Enforcement Hall's role in the battle.
• The Heavenly Secret Sect broke through the Mountain-Guarding Grand Formation's second layer, and the sects fought the stronger Water Moon School defenders.
• A Water Moon School attack poisoned the Heavenly Secret Sect's formation leader, and Tang Wuchen confirmed that the poison was severe.
• Tang Wuchen told Tong Qi that only a Water-Bi Clear Essence Pill could save the leader and that they had one hour to find it.
• Tong Qi left to seek the pill, while the Heavenly Secret Sect junior disciples tried offering formation disks in trade, but no one agreed.

Tong Qi returned with the Water-Bi Clear Essence Pill and saved the injured Heavenly Secret Sect disciple, despite owing Xia Jue ten years of unpaid work. Xia Jue broke through the third layer of the Mountain-Guarding Grand Formation and led Feng Qi and Tong Qi toward their destination, where they defeated two powerful corpse puppets.

• Tong Qi gave the Heavenly Secret Sect disciples the Water-Bi Clear Essence Pill after they agreed to repay it, revealing that he had promised Xia Jue ten years of unpaid service for it.
• Tang Wuchen treated the disciple after he took the pill, and Tong Qi said he had wanted to save him even though the group had other ways to breach the formation.
• When the comatose Senior Brother Yun could not help, Xia Jue used a ring-shaped magic treasure to melt a hole through the third layer of the Mountain-Guarding Grand Formation.
• Xia Jue followed the Sound-Mixing Bell toward their destination with Feng Qi and Tong Qi, and the group sensed growing yin resentful qi along the way.
• Xia Jue identified two enormous attackers as corpse puppets, and he, Feng Qi, and Tong Qi killed them in a fierce battle.

Tong Qi, Feng Qi, and Xia Jue hurried toward Su Jiu after Xia Jue sensed she was in danger. Trapped on the Sacrificial Altar as yin resentful qi filled the dome, Su Jiu reassured Yun Huanling and prepared to act as the barrier began to fail.

• Tong Qi reflected on the Enforcement Hall's training and Feng Qi's rank before Feng Qi and Xia Jue killed the two Corpse Puppets.
• Xia Jue rushed ahead after noticing something was wrong with Su Jiu, and Feng Qi protected Tong Qi from the wind as they followed.
• Yin resentful qi filled two-thirds of the dome and stirred Ming Yun's painful memories, while Su Jiu grew weak but remained unaffected by the qi.
• Shui Rao'er questioned Hong Ming's plan as cracks spread across the Mirror Fragment and red light poured from the eight wine cups.
• Yun Huanling regained consciousness, fought through the storm to reach the Altar, and urged Su Jiu to look outside.
• Su Jiu told Yun Huanling through divine sense to go back, then glanced at the bell at her waist and resolved to protect him.

Yun Huanling discovered that Hong Ming had orchestrated the events leading to the altar, while Su Jiu remained immune to the Yin Resentful Qi and Ming Yun was being consumed by it. Xia Jue and Feng Qi arrived and broke the barrier, but Shui Rao'er warned that emptying the altar’s wine cup would put everyone inside in danger.

• Hong Ming revealed his disfigured face, and Yun Huanling recognized him as Martial Uncle Hong Ming, who had escaped from confinement.
• Yun Huanling accused Hong Ming of stealing the Spirit Banner, releasing vengeful souls, killing the couple, and arranging their arrival, and Hong Ming admitted Yun Huanling was not completely foolish.
• As the formation filled with Yin Resentful Qi, Ming Yun alternated between begging to escape and insisting she would endure until she could claim Su Jiu’s talent and Fate Pattern.
• Hong Ming seized Chu Luohen and demanded to know why Su Jiu was immune, then attacked Yun Huanling before the barrier suddenly shattered.
• Xia Jue arrived to take the sect’s disciples away, while Feng Qi helped Chu Luohen up and Chu Luohen restrained his urge to kill Hong Ming.
• Xia Jue picked up the wine cup beneath the altar banner, and Shui Rao'er warned him that pouring it out would expose everyone inside to the Yin Resentful Qi.

Xia Jue remained strangely calm as the Water Moon School’s scheme neared completion, while Li Yishi begged Shui Rao'er to spare Ming Yun and learned that the ritual was also meant to save his master's life. When Hong Ming tried to seize Xia Jue, golden light burst from him and burned Hong Ming’s hand.

• Xia Jue questioned Shui Rao'er's claim that the sect only meant to borrow fortune, and Shui Rao'er insisted the ritual was necessary to save her life.
• Disciples from other sects arrived after the Water Moon School’s defenders were defeated, and Qian Ling taunted Shui Rao'er.
• Li Yishi rushed to Ming Yun's barrier, failed to break through, and begged Shui Rao'er to let Ming Yun go.
• Shui Rao'er revealed that a forbidden technique had left her with less than a hundred years to live and that the blood beneath the banners would save her if the Heavenly Star Rotation Technique succeeded.
• Hong Ming questioned Xia Jue about his calmness, then tried to seize him, but Xia Jue's golden light burned Hong Ming’s hand.

Su Jiu and Qi Song turned Hong Ming’s Heavenly Star Rotation Technique against him, drawing heavenly punishment lightning that left his soul unstable. As Su Jiu prepared to kill him, Chu Luohen stopped her, saying Hong Ming could not die by her hand.

• Su Jiu discovered Little Gift had suddenly fallen asleep and realized the Heavenly Star Rotation Technique’s formation was becoming unstable.
• Hong Ming realized Qi Song and Su Jiu had deceived him as the technique collapsed.
• Heavenly punishment lightning struck Hong Ming alone and severely damaged his soul.
• Qi Song revealed that Su Jiu was the person his clan had sent him to find, and Hong Ming admitted his plan had failed.
• Su Jiu explained how she had anticipated Hong Ming’s actions and used his own scheme against him.
• Chu Luohen stopped Su Jiu from striking Hong Ming and told her he could not die by her hand.

Su Jiu and the other sects arranged for the Heavenly Secret Sect to receive help escorting Hong Ming, while Yun Huanling offered half its share of the Water Moon School’s resources. After Shui Rao’er was captured and then rescued by a guard, Su Jiu splashed Qi Song’s blood mixed with wine onto Ming Yun’s face to show Li Yishi the truth about her appearance.

• Su Jiu objected to letting Hong Ming return to the Heavenly Secret Sect, but Xia Jue said someone would deal with him.
• The Heavenly Secret Sect’s disciples asked for help escorting Hong Ming, and Yun Huanling offered half the sect’s resource share in exchange.
• Sect Leader Li agreed to provide escorts, while Elysium Valley’s disciples mocked the Heavenly Dawn Sect for its behavior.
• The Enforcement Hall defeated Shui Rao’er, but a guard snatched her away before they could take her into custody, and Xia Jue ordered them not to pursue.
• Su Jiu told Li Yishi that Hong Ming had arranged Ming Yun’s face, then used Qi Song’s blood mixed with wine to splash her face.

Su Jiu exposed the face-shifting gu attached to Ming Yun and explained how Qi Song’s blood had forced it to reveal itself and die. Ming Yun woke with her face ruined, unaware that her thoughts about Xia Jue and the sects had been spoken aloud, while the crowd mocked her.

• Qi Song’s blood drained the color from Ming Yun’s face, causing the face-shifting gu to peel away and writhe on the ground.
• Tang Wuchen identified the gu as something implanted by a cultivator above the Nascent Soul level, and Su Jiu explained how she recognized it and used Qi Song’s blood to kill it.
• Ming Yun woke with her face burning, assumed the gathered sects had come to recruit her, and pushed Li Yishi away when he tried to help her.
• Ming Yun expected Xia Jue to catch her when she stumbled, but Li Yishi caught her again, and her thoughts about rejecting the Azure Tide Sect and marrying Xia Jue came out aloud.
• The gathered cultivators laughed at Ming Yun’s remarks and mocked her ruined appearance, while Li Yishi stayed silent.

Ming Yun saw her ruined face and lost her mind, while Li Yishi tried to protect her from those seeking revenge. Xia Jue stopped Mu Ran from killing Ming Yun, and the Enforcement Hall began taking back the spirit root and innate talents she had stolen.

• Ming Yun saw her rotted face in the shattered mirror, screamed, and raved about her ambitions before Li Yishi knocked her unconscious and asked the crowd to spare her.
• Mu Ran tried to seize Ming Yun's Dantian, then revealed that Ming Yun had stolen her younger brother's spirit root and her companions' innate talents and fed their souls to the Netherworld Lamp.
• Li Yishi stood between Mu Ran and Ming Yun, but Xia Jue persuaded Mu Ran to let Ming Yun live and reclaim what she had stolen instead.
• Li Yishi agreed to let the Enforcement Hall extract Ming Yun's spirit root and innate talents as long as her life was not endangered.
• An Enforcement Hall disciple found that Ming Yun's original spirit roots were gone, and Hong Ming explained that Ming Yun had asked him to remove them to preserve the purity of the ice spiritual root.

Su Jiu questioned Hong Ming about his plot to obtain her Fate Pattern, then used her Otherworldly Eyes to learn that a white-haired immortal had poured cultivation into Ming Yun. After Ming Yun lost her cultivation and stolen spirit root, Mu Ran destroyed the recovered talents and left, while Su Jiu’s unexplained head pain returned.

• Su Jiu asked Hong Ming why he wanted her Fate Pattern, but Xia Jue silenced him before he could answer aloud.
• Su Jiu hypnotized Ming Yun and learned that a white-haired immortal had poured cultivation into her.
• Su Jiu’s head pain returned as she used her Otherworldly Eyes, and Chu Luohen expressed concern about her condition.
• Ming Yun woke without cultivation and demanded that Li Yishi reclaim her spirit root and talents, but he told her they were not hers.
• Mu Ran took the recovered spirit root and talents, crushed them, and left after mourning her younger brother.

After Xia Jue destroyed Ming Yun’s Netherworld Lamp, Li Yishi left with her, while the sects gathered to divide the Water Moon School’s resources. Sect Leader Li proposed an equal division, but the other sects challenged her, and a Heavenly Dawn Sect disciple’s remarks about their casualties made the dispute worse.

• Xia Jue took Li Yishi’s Jade Pendant and Ming Yun’s Netherworld Lamp, then destroyed the lamp and released the souls trapped inside.
• Ming Yun spat blood after losing her Life-Bound Treasure, and Li Yishi left with her after offering to stay by her side.
• Xia Jue dismissed a disciple’s concern about Ming Yun, saying she was on the verge of death.
• As the sects prepared to divide the Water Moon School’s resources, Sect Leader Li proposed sharing them equally.
• Lie Wushuang, Gu Ningyun, Yun Huanling, Feng Qi, Tang Wuchen, and others challenged Sect Leader Li’s proposal and pressed for rewards based on merit.
• A Heavenly Dawn Sect disciple argued that his sect deserved more because it had lost the most people, prompting Tong Qi to criticize their logic before someone grabbed his shoulder.

Su Jiu challenged the Heavenly Dawn Sect after one of its disciples attacked Tong Qi, and the sects settled how to divide the Misty Immortal Sect’s resources. After the others departed, Su Jiu stayed behind with Xia Jue and Chu Luohen to investigate the headaches she suffered after using her Innate Arts, which she suspected were connected to the pool.

• Su Jiu caught the spiritual-qi thorn aimed at Tong Qi, then frightened the attacker with an Ice Spike after Sect Leader Li dismissed the ambush as a harmless joke.
• The sects divided the Misty Immortal Sect’s resources according to their contributions and prior agreements, leaving the Heavenly Dawn Sect unable to claim an extra share.
• The other sects departed, while Su Jiu stayed behind at the ruined Water Moon School; Xia Jue and Chu Luohen remained with her.
• Su Jiu told Xia Jue that her headaches began after she emerged from the pool, and Xia Jue suspected the pool rather than the sword she had drawn from it.
• Su Jiu recounted what had happened in the pool, and Xia Jue reacted when she reached the curses.

Qi Song and Xia Jue suspected that Su Jiu had been cursed, possibly with an art targeting her Otherworldly Eyes, while Chu Luohen returned to inspect the pool. Meanwhile, Hong Ming provoked the disciples escorting him in hopes of making them fight and creating a chance to escape.

• Qi Song examined Su Jiu and suspected a curse had entered her body, though he could not identify or remove it.
• Xia Jue concluded that Su Jiu’s curse was likely different from the curse script in the pool because her life force was not draining away.
• Chu Luohen headed back to the pond to inspect it, while Qi Song advised Su Jiu to avoid using her Otherworldly Eyes.
• Hong Ming provoked the Heavenly Secret Sect and Heavenly Dawn Sect disciples escorting him, and a Heavenly Dawn Sect disciple moved to punish him.

Yun Huanling led the Heavenly Secret Sect disciples in defeating the Heavenly Dawn Sect after they attacked to seize the mineral vein contract. Two black-clad assailants then killed Hong Ming, leaving Yun Huanling and the others stunned.

• Yun Huanling stopped a Heavenly Dawn Sect disciple from striking Hong Ming and defended the Heavenly Secret Sect against accusations of conspiring with him.
• The Heavenly Dawn Sect leader demanded the mineral vein contract and ordered his disciples to attack the Heavenly Secret Sect.
• Yun Huanling directed the Heavenly Secret Sect's formation, which overwhelmed the scattered Heavenly Dawn Sect disciples.
• Two black-clad figures rushed out of the woods and killed Hong Ming, destroying his nascent soul as he tried to escape.
• Yun Huanling checked Hong Ming and told a junior disciple that he was dead.

Yun Huanling revealed that he had arranged Hong Ming’s death, then trapped the Heavenly Dawn Sect in a formation after they demanded payment. As Su Jiu recovered, Xia Jue learned Hong Ming was dead and decided the remaining leads were not worth pursuing.

• Yun Huanling admitted to himself that he had arranged for Hong Ming to be killed to protect A Jiu and prevent another scandal for the Heavenly Secret Sect.
• The Heavenly Dawn Sect’s leader demanded thirty percent of the payment, but Yun Huanling refused and trapped the group in a composite formation.
• The awakened Second Senior Brother teased Yun Huanling about Su Jiu and led the Heavenly Secret Sect disciples away, leaving Hong Ming’s body behind.
• The Heavenly Dawn Sect disciples searched the formation until it vanished five double-hours later, realizing they could have waited in place.
• While Su Jiu recuperated under Qi Song’s guard, Xia Jue received Ning Fan’s message that Hong Ming was dead and told the Enforcement Hall not to investigate further.