Chapter Summaries

Lou Sheng reunited with two female disciples who had been attacked by the Heavenly Dawn Sect and learned that seven Foundation Establishment cultivators had pursued them. Su Jiu declared herself and her companions allies of the Azure Tide Sect, then stunned Lou Sheng and the disciples by revealing she was at the Out-of-body stage and fifty years old.

• Lou Sheng met his two female disciples at the inn and learned that seven Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Heavenly Dawn Sect had attacked them, until a senior secretly intervened.
• Lou Sheng reprimanded the disciples for going out, but the older one explained that they hunted demon beasts to obtain cultivation resources for the struggling sect.
• Lou Sheng introduced Su Jiu and her companions as friends, and Su Jiu told the disciples they were allies.
• The two female disciples asked Su Jiu about her cultivation and age, and she answered that she was Out-of-body and fifty.
• Lou Sheng nearly fell from his flying sword and asked Su Jiu if her answer was true.

Lou Sheng learned that Su Jiu had reached Nascent Soul Great Perfection, while Chong Mo continued to hold Ye Wanqing captive and demand a cultivation method from her. Ding Fen revealed that Su Jiu had returned stronger than before, leaving Chong Mo to wonder whether she might threaten him on the Hongsheng Heavenly Road.

• Su Jiu told Lou Sheng she had reached Nascent Soul Great Perfection six years earlier, and Lou Sheng grew despondent at how far behind her he was.
• Chong Mo visited the imprisoned Ye Wanqing, taunted her, and demanded she reveal a cultivation method, but she refused and mocked the loss of the Soul-Searching Art.
• Ding Fen arrived and told Chong Mo he had seen Su Jiu at the Auction House and that her aura seemed stronger than before.
• Chong Mo recalled that Medicine King Valley had refused to kill Su Jiu and her companions, agreeing only to keep them away for three years.
• Chong Mo asked Ding Fen whether he was afraid Su Jiu would intercept and kill him on the Hongsheng Heavenly Road.

Ding Fen stopped Chong Mo from killing Ye Wanqing and proposed using her as bait to lure Su Jiu to the Heavenly Dawn Sect. After returning to the Azure Tide Sect, Su Jiu questioned Lou Sheng about the past attack and criticized him for failing to investigate Chong Mo.

• Ding Fen chose a poisoned needle chair as an instrument of torture and taunted Ye Wanqing about her closeness to Su Jiu.
• Chong Mo tried to kill Ye Wanqing, but Ding Fen stopped him and suggested using her to lure Su Jiu into a trap.
• Su Jiu returned to the Azure Tide Sect with Lou Sheng and two female cultivators, observing the sect's reduced numbers and rebuilt buildings.
• Su Jiu asked Lou Sheng whether other factions had joined the attack, and Lou Sheng admitted he had not been able to investigate.
• Lou Sheng asked why Su Jiu had not warned them about Chong Mo, and Su Jiu reminded him that she had given him Absolute Tears and said he had disappointed her.

Lou Sheng recounted how the Azure Tide Sect was poisoned during a celebratory feast and betrayed by Chong Mo, who believed True Lord Pinglan had killed his family. Chong Mo revealed himself as a demonic cultivator, leaving the sect disciples shocked as the attack unfolded.

• Lou Sheng explained that True Lord Pinglan could not be saved because the Heavenly Dawn Sect attacked after the feast’s wine had been poisoned with Absolute Death.
• Chong Mo admitted that he had arranged the poisoning and accused True Lord Pinglan of killing the Chong family.
• True Lord Pinglan questioned Chong Mo’s evidence, but Chong Mo said he trusted Sect Master Jiang of the Heavenly Dawn Sect, his uncle.
• Azure Tide Sect disciples urged Chong Mo to remember True Lord Pinglan’s kindness and his betrothal to Ye Wanqing.
• Chong Mo stopped when a disciple mentioned Ye Wanqing, then demonic qi erupted from his body and the disciples realized he was a demonic cultivator.

Chong Mo’s revenge destroyed the Azure Tide Sect, and True Lord Pinglan died after entrusting the sect and Ye Wanqing to Lou Sheng. Lou Sheng later recounted how the sect struggled through the six years after Ye Wanqing disappeared.

• Chong Mo raised his sword against True Lord Pinglan, but Lou Sheng intercepted him and the Azure Tide Sect’s disciples joined the battle.
• Ye Wanqing, weakened by Deathless, shielded True Lord Pinglan, and Lou Sheng poured the Absolute Tears into her mouth instead of using them to neutralize his master’s poison.
• True Lord Pinglan gave Lou Sheng his thumb ring, named him the Azure Tide Sect’s sect master, and asked him to care for Qing'er before dying.
• Chong Mo and Ye Wanqing disappeared amid the battle, and Lou Sheng failed to persuade the Heavenly Dawn Sect to return her.
• The Heavenly Dawn Sect began attacking Azure Tide Sect disciples outside the sect, driving many to leave while Lou Sheng designated those who stayed as elite disciples.
• Lou Sheng finished telling Su Jiu what had happened over the previous six years as dawn approached.

Su Jiu told Lou Sheng that Ouyang Yanyu had secretly warned her about Chong Mo’s plans, forcing Lou Sheng to recognize how badly his prejudice had failed Ouyang. Su Jiu and her companions began a discreet search for Ouyang, with Su Jiu heading to Pumpkin Town.

• Lou Sheng said he had rejected Ouyang Yanyu’s messages for years because he believed she had betrayed him and returned only out of desperation.
• Su Jiu revealed that Ouyang Yanyu had told her about Absolute Tears and the Ice-Cage Flower, and Lou Sheng realized Ouyang had been trying to warn him.
• Su Jiu explained that Ouyang was likely nearby and had not returned to the Heavenly Dawn Sect, since she knew Chong Mo’s apparent affection was only an act.
• Su Jiu decided that the four of them would search separate towns without drawing attention or sending out a large group.
• Su Jiu and the others disguised themselves and set out; Su Jiu went to the farthest town, Pumpkin Town.

Qingyu, secretly Ouyang Yanyu, worked as a cleaner for an opera troupe in Pumpkin Town while hiding her scarred face and waiting for Qing'er’s chance at salvation. Su Jiu arrived in town to search for her, unaware that they had just passed each other.

• The opera troupe master warned the performers not to offend festival guests, and one actress mocked Qingyu for her scars.
• The troupe master kept Qingyu because she worked hard, while a young performer noticed her refined bearing and suspected she was hiding her true identity.
• Qingyu reflected that she had stopped relying on Lou Sheng and hoped Su Jiu and the others would return before the Hongsheng Heavenly Road opened.
• Su Jiu entered Pumpkin Town ahead of the Longjoy Festival and began searching the town with her divine sense, detecting numerous cultivators.

During the Longjoy Festival, Su Jiu watched a cultivator couple enjoy mortal food and decided to try wontons herself. After exchanging a spirit stone for silver, she reflected on the town’s intense spiritual qi as the Snow Sprite and Little Pearl bickered.

• Su Jiu observed a cultivator couple eat wontons and argue playfully about cultivation and enjoying ordinary food.
• The stall owner offered Su Jiu a bowl of wontons, and she sat down despite having no mortal currency.
• Su Jiu exchanged a spirit stone with the couple for a small pouch of silver pieces.
• After Su Jiu left, the couple remarked on her unusual bearing and guessed that her cultivation was higher than theirs.
• Su Jiu received her wontons and commented on the heat, while the Snow Sprite complained about the heavy fire and water spiritual qi and Little Pearl mocked their discomfort.

Su Jiu spent the day enjoying mortal food and listening to rumors about Chong Mo, Chong Lie, and True Lord Pinglan. At the city moat, an old woman helped her realize she could entrust a wish to herself, and Su Jiu sent her lantern drifting into the night.

• Su Jiu ate wontons and overheard diners say Chong Mo had killed many people after leaving the Azure Tide Sect, while True Lord Pinglan had killed Chong Lie and the Chong family.
• A woman watched Su Jiu leave the stall and followed her through the city.
• Su Jiu sampled street snacks and admired the lanterns people released onto the city moat.
• An old woman gave Su Jiu a lantern, and a young girl lent her a brush.
• Su Jiu realized she could make a wish to herself, wrote on the lantern, and released it into the moat.

Su Jiu and Chu Luohen searched for Ouyang Yanyu and found her after she secretly followed Su Jiu, suspecting she might be the cultivator she had long awaited. Ouyang Yanyu confirmed their identities and met them in a concealed alley, where Su Jiu noticed poison remained beneath her scar.

• Chu Luohen told Su Jiu that the Heavenly Dawn Sect had failed to find Ouyang Yanyu in the town he searched, so he came to Pumpkin Town to join the others.
• Ouyang Yanyu spotted Su Jiu at a wonton stall and secretly followed her throughout the day, growing suspicious of her resemblance to a white-clad cultivator she remembered.
• Ouyang Yanyu saw Chu Luohen on the bridge and recognized his resemblance to Su Jiu, then removed the Jade Token concealing her aura.
• Su Jiu and Chu Luohen greeted Ouyang Yanyu, led her to a sealed alley, and removed their masks when she asked to see their faces.
• Su Jiu noticed residual poison beneath Ouyang Yanyu's scar, while Ouyang Yanyu said she valued her life more than her appearance.

Su Jiu heard Ouyang Yanyu explain why the Azure Tide Sect had shunned her and how she had tried to rescue Ye Wanqing from the Heavenly Dawn Sect. Ouyang Yanyu asked Su Jiu to help save Ye Wanqing, but Su Jiu revealed she had already promised Lou Sheng to do so.

• Su Jiu gave Ouyang Yanyu Three Purities Pills, and Ouyang Yanyu explained that sect rumors and her refusal to seek the disciples' approval had left her isolated.
• Ouyang Yanyu told Su Jiu that she had discovered Chong Mo was dangerous and had tried to protect Qing'er, but the sect had not believed her.
• Ouyang Yanyu blamed herself and Lou Sheng for True Lord Pinglan's death and for failing to rescue Qing'er sooner.
• Ouyang Yanyu recounted entering the Heavenly Dawn Sect alone, where Ding Fen wounded her, and said Su Jiu's sword strike had helped her escape with knowledge of Qing'er's location.
• Ouyang Yanyu asked Su Jiu to help rescue Ye Wanqing and offered to scout and provide maps; Su Jiu said she had already promised Lou Sheng to rescue her.
• Ouyang Yanyu recognized that Su Jiu had deduced much about Chong Mo, Qing'er, and Lou Sheng from the clues she had found.

Su Jiu learned the truth from Ouyang Yanyu, who stayed behind to settle matters with the opera troupe, while Su Jiu and Chu Luohen returned to the Azure Tide Sect. At the Heavenly Dawn Sect, Sect Master Jiang decided to use Ye Wanqing as bait on the Hongsheng Heavenly Road and keep the two worlds unconnected so he could preserve his power.

• Ouyang Yanyu explained that she had moved from the neighboring town to Pumpkin Town with the opera troupe, while the Heavenly Dawn Sect disciples had only pretended to search for her.
• Su Jiu and Chu Luohen returned to the Azure Tide Sect after Ouyang Yanyu asked for another day to settle matters concerning the opera troupe.
• Sect Master Jiang questioned Ding Fen and Chong Mo about Su Jiu and her companions returning.
• Ding Fen proposed using Ye Wanqing as bait to trap Su Jiu and the others inside the Hongsheng Heavenly Road.
• Sect Master Jiang resolved to wait for the Hongsheng Heavenly Road to open, then carry out his plans to preserve his rule and prevent the two worlds from connecting.

Chong Mo persuaded Sect Master Jiang not to use Ye Wanqing as bait before the Heavenly Dawn Sect had obtained the cultivation method, and then proposed another plan. Sect Master Jiang approved, while Ding Fen grew wary of his junior brother’s rising influence and threatened him after the meeting.

• Ding Fen suggested killing Ye Wanqing before the Hongsheng Heavenly Road opened, but Chong Mo warned that the sect would lose its chance to obtain the cultivation method.
• Chong Mo explained that the Azure Tide Sect’s disciples had restrictions against revealing the method and that capturing Su Jiu would be too risky.
• Sect Master Jiang rebuked Ding Fen for letting his hatred cloud his judgment and asked Chong Mo to propose an alternative plan.
• Chong Mo quietly explained his idea, and Sect Master Jiang left the great hall satisfied after two hours of discussion.
• Ding Fen approached Chong Mo after the others left and warned him that a tree rising above the forest would be battered by the wind.

Ouyang Yanyu returned to the Opera Troupe and revealed her true identity before rejoining the effort to rescue Ye Wanqing. After rejecting Lou Sheng’s call to rush into a possible trap, Su Jiu said they would make their move in half a month.

• Ouyang Yanyu returned to the Opera Troupe as an Azure Tide Sect cultivator, revealed her real name, and gave the troupe leader silver in thanks for saving her.
• Over the following month, Ouyang Yanyu and the others searched for a way to rescue Ye Wanqing, while their plans remained stalled.
• Lou Sheng urged Su Jiu and Ouyang Yanyu to use the map to reach Ye Wanqing, citing rumors that she was suffering in the Heavenly Dawn Sect.
• Ouyang Yanyu warned that the rumors might be bait, and Su Jiu and Chu Luohen suspected Ding Fen was targeting Su Jiu ahead of the Hongsheng Heavenly Road opening.
• Su Jiu refused to reveal her plan immediately, then told Ouyang Yanyu they would make their move in half a month.

After the rumors about Ye Wanqing stopped spreading, Su Jiu concluded that the Heavenly Dawn Sect had abandoned its attempt to lure them into a trap and planned a rescue that night. She and Chu Luohen prepared to search two possible dungeons, leaving the others behind.

• Su Jiu spent weeks investigating the rumors about Ye Wanqing and inferred that the Heavenly Dawn Sect's real aim was to prevent her from entering the Hongsheng Heavenly Road.
• When the rumors disappeared, Su Jiu decided the enemy's guard would be lowest that night and announced they would act.
• Ouyang Yanyu used a map to identify two likely dungeons where Ye Wanqing might have been moved.
• Lou Sheng volunteered to search one dungeon, but Su Jiu told everyone else to stay behind because their cultivation was too low.
• Ouyang Yanyu learned Su Jiu had reached the Out-of-Body realm, and Su Jiu asked Chu Luohen to accompany her to search the dungeons.

Sect Master Jiang punished Chong Mo for the failed operation and warned Ding Fen against further schemes, while Su Jiu and Chu Luohen infiltrated the Heavenly Dawn Sect to find Ye Wanqing. They reached the entrance to the prison where she might be held, with Su Jiu questioning whether Ouyang Yanyu’s analysis had led them to the right place.

• Sect Master Jiang ordered Chong Mo to receive fifty lashes with the lightning whip, reasoning that his actions to protect Ye Wanqing had gone too far.
• Sect Master Jiang warned Ding Fen that he knew about his interference and threatened him with the lightning whip if he schemed again.
• A new young mistress questioned Sect Master Jiang about Chong Mo’s punishment, and he patiently explained why he had acted.
• Su Jiu and Chu Luohen entered the Heavenly Dawn Sect at night and secretly followed the route toward Ye Wanqing’s possible prison.
• Su Jiu and Chu Luohen reached the prison entrance, where Su Jiu asked whether the route based on Ouyang Yanyu’s analysis was correct.

Su Jiu and Chu Luohen found the Heavenly Dawn Sect’s hidden dungeon and rescued Ye Wanqing, who had been imprisoned there for five years. Unable to walk, Ye Wanqing left on Su Jiu’s flying sword as they hurried away.

• Su Jiu and Chu Luohen found the dungeon’s invisible void marsh black iron door and Chu Luohen removed its weak Barrier.
• They slipped into the dark prison, where Su Jiu sensed that Ye Wanqing was the only prisoner and that there were no traps or formations.
• Su Jiu found Ye Wanqing chained to a wall, broke the iron restraints, and freed her.
• Ye Wanqing tried to walk but collapsed because she had been suspended for five years and her strength had not recovered.
• Su Jiu carried Ye Wanqing onto her flying sword and sped out of the dungeon while Chu Luohen accompanied them.

Su Jiu and Chu Luohen rescued Ye Wanqing and brought her back to the sect, where she reunited with Lou Sheng and Ouyang Yanyu. They then took Qi Song to the City That Never Sleeps, where a local gambler recognized they were searching for someone or something.

• Su Jiu slowed down while carrying Ye Wanqing, and Chu Luohen silently watched them with jealousy.
• Sect Master Jiang learned Ye Wanqing had escaped and sent his disciples to the Spring Willow Pavilion to confront Ding Fen.
• Su Jiu, Chu Luohen, and Ye Wanqing returned to the sect, where Lou Sheng and Ouyang Yanyu welcomed Ye Wanqing.
• Su Jiu and Chu Luohen brought Qi Song to the City That Never Sleeps, where a gray-robed gambler offered to guide them.
• The gambler guessed that the three visitors were searching for someone or something.

Su Jiu agreed to a best-of-three dice game with a mustached cultivator, who offered to guide her through the City That Never Sleeps if she won. As they prepared to play, a gambler’s punishment taught Qi Song how cruel the city could be, and the game was about to begin.

• The mustached cultivator offered to guide Su Jiu for free if she won a dice game, and Su Jiu agreed after inspecting the contract.
• The mustached cultivator produced a gambling table and warned that the City That Never Sleeps devoured those who could not devour others.
• Four enforcers beat a debtor outside the gambling house and threatened to remove his limbs if he failed to repay Third Master.
• Qi Song sympathized with the debtor, but the mustached cultivator revealed that the man had driven his mother to her death, sold his children, and killed his Dao companion for gambling.
• Su Jiu returned her attention to the dice as the mustached cultivator announced that they would play best of three.

Su Jiu challenged Lai Laoliu to a dice game and learned his cup-shaking technique as she played. After she matched his roll, Lai Laoliu began showing her a more elaborate technique to test whether she could learn that too.

• Lai Laoliu rolled three sixes and invited Su Jiu and her companions to guess the dice.
• Su Jiu examined the Half-Step Spirit Artifact cup and realized it blocked divine sense, then began learning to shake it.
• Su Jiu quickly mastered the rhythm and revealed three sixes, startling Lai Laoliu and the onlookers.
• When Lai Laoliu doubted she had just learned the technique, Su Jiu said he had taught it to her.
• Lai Laoliu began demonstrating a cup-shaking technique he had learned in the past six months, while Su Jiu found its extra flourishes tedious.