Arc 14Chapters 326–350
No recap yet.
No recap yet.
Xu Taiping reached the summit of Jade Gourd Peak after revealing a powerful sword strike, and Lay Buddhist Yuqing appeared to reward the disciples and purge the grotto-heaven. Yuqing trapped a mysterious swordsman in a formation, whose overwhelming sword intent left Xu Taiping wondering who they were.
Xu Taiping learned that Su Chan was the target of Lay Buddhist Yuqing’s trap as the two fought across the Immortal Gourd Grotto-Heaven. Lay Buddhist Yuqing drew Heavenly Shadow and struck down Su Chan’s sword light, but Su Chan transformed into a vast black tree that began devouring the grotto-heaven’s spiritual energy.
Xu Taiping learned that Lay Buddhist Yuqing had died after mortally wounding Su Chan and sealing the Demon God Weapon Taotie, preventing Nine Nether from threatening the Nine Prefectures for at least sixty years. After Huang Que explained Yuqing’s plan and his use of the Immortal Gourd Grotto-Heaven, he told Xu Taiping that Senior A Meng was waiting for him at the White Steed Inn.
After returning from the Nine Prefectures, Xu Taiping received a Flood Dragon Token from A Meng and learned it could help purify his spiritual energy in the Wilderness Ancient Ruins. He returned to Cloud Cottage Mountain, where Ping'an told him that Bai Yu had gone to kill the Peacock King and had not returned.
Xu Taiping returned to Moon Perching Pavilion and learned that Bai Yu was hiding near the imprisoned Peacock King, whose planned transfer might be a trap for White Rainbow. He agreed with Fairy Lingyue to stay back and intervene at the decisive moment, while awaiting the Bamboo Fruits’ ripening and greeting his senior siblings.
Xu Taiping reunited with his senior brothers and sisters, then told Fairy Lingyue about the events in the Immortal Gourd Grotto-Heaven. Fairy Lingyue identified the Flood Dragon Token as Chaos Stone, explaining its use in the Wilderness Ancient Ruins, and reassured Xu Taiping that Quenching Fire Pills would address the mixed spiritual energy in his body.
Xu Taiping and Fairy Lingyue prepared to suppress the Demon Lotus and discussed how to protect themselves from the Otherworldly Heavenly Demon. When the Earth Fruit ripened, the bamboo they cut stabilized Fairy Lingyue’s divine soul and gave her a way to wield much of her power through Bamboo Puppets.
Xu Taiping and Fairy Lingyue discovered that the Earth Fruit had produced the damaged Shentu Bow and three powerful arrows instead of a flying sword. After learning how to restore the bow, they were interrupted when someone discovered Bai Yu.
Bai Yu revealed its three-year plan to use the Peacock King Remnants to distract the Azure Profound Sect while it tried to assassinate the imprisoned Peacock King. Xu Taiping and Fairy Lingyue watched from nearby as the Peacock Demons gathered, uncertain whether the plan would succeed.
Bai Yu infiltrated Weary Bird Manor to kill the imprisoned Peacock King, but Elder Song and Gu Cheng revealed they had prepared a trap. Trapped inside the Demon-Slaying Platform, Bai Yu protected himself with Feather Cage and threatened to kill both himself and the Peacock King, leaving negotiations at a standstill.
Bai Yu tried to kill the Peacock King so his father would have no weakness preventing him from avenging their clan, but Jin Yue stopped him. Several mysterious allies rescued Bai Yu and helped him kill the Peacock King before Sect Master Zhou Tong arrived.
Xu Taiping rescued Bai Yu from the battle, then escaped after Fairy Lingyue destroyed the Bamboo Puppet to repel Peak Lord Jin Yue's sword. Later, White Rainbow asked Ninth Uncle for permission to kill Zhou Tong, and Ninth Uncle said someone from the Seventh Peak would challenge him at the next Seven Peaks Grand Competition.
White Rainbow questioned Ninth Uncle about surviving his wounds at the Northern Border, but Ninth Uncle dismissed his suspicions with a joke. Later, drunk Lü Sword Nine descended into the Nether Profound Grotto to share wine with his Senior Brother, entering the blood-filled cavern where nine coffins and a huge Bronze Gate stood.
Lü Sword Nine visited the corpses and spoke with Zhou Ang, his senior brother, who guarded the Bronze Gate and was slowly losing his memories. More than ten days later, Lin Buyu dreamed of Senior Sister Ziyan in a snowy ruin, and Lin Buyan identified the place as Cloud Whale, the ancient Snow Capital.
Lin Buyu worried that her dream foretold danger for Xu Ziyan’s trial in Cloud Whale City, while Xu Taiping reviewed his cultivation and the Demon Lotus’s condition with Fairy Lingyue. The chapter ended with Xu Taiping checking on a batch of Grass Return Pills nearing completion.
Xu Taiping refined pills, lent Lin Buyu his bracelet, and received a protective Spirit Feather from Uncle White Rainbow. Three months later, a letter from Huang Que reported that Qingxiao had disappeared in Snow Capital, leaving behind a Moonshadow Stone that recorded his final scenes.
Xu Taiping activated the Moonshadow Stone and watched a recording of Dugu Qingxiao, gravely wounded and despairing in a ruined palace. The recording ended after Qingxiao leapt into a pit beneath Heavenly Sound Hall and monstrous arms drove his companions away.
After seeing the Moonshadow Stone images, Xu Taiping learned from Huang Que that Qingxiao was alive but in grave danger inside the Wilderness Thousand Buddha Kingdom, and decided to go help him. Before he could meet Huang Que, Lin Buyu arrived and begged him to save her Senior Sister.
Xu Taiping learned that Senior Sister Ziyan was in danger and prepared to enter the Wilderness Snow Capital to rescue her and Senior Brother Qingxiao. He arrived at Setting Sun Mountain Manor, where a strange message from the Nine Prefectures' Communication Token warned him that someone was about to kill him.
Xu Taiping discovered that Setting Sun Mountain Manor was torturing Huang Que to learn where Qingxiao had disappeared. He arranged for Bai Yu and Ping'an to prepare a rescue, then drew the manor’s attention by shooting its cultivators, leaving the manor in chaos.
Xu Taiping wounded the spear-wielding elder and struck the girl in purple with a Divine Arrow, giving Bai Yu and Ping'an time to rescue Huang Que. The girl pursued them with a terrifying summoned shadow, and Xu Taiping intervened just as it was about to cut down Bai Yu.
Xu Taiping rescued Huang Que and Bai Yu from the Purple-Robed Maiden’s party, but suffered a serious wound from the shadowy figure’s blade qi. After recovering in hiding, he took Huang Que to a concealed boat on the Black-Clothed River and asked him what had happened to Senior Brother Qingxiao.
Xu Taiping learned that Qingxiao and Ziyan had been chosen by a mysterious object and that Qingxiao might still be alive, prompting a dangerous search in the Wilderness. Huang Que gave him information about the Thousand Buddhas Kingdom and Corpse Soul Incense, then revealed that Su Su was a powerful Poison King Cult prodigy.
Xu Taiping learned that Huang Que was afflicted with Merfolk Gu and resolved to find a way to save him, despite Huang Que’s warnings about Su Su. When Su Su threatened the people along the Black-Clothed River, Xu Taiping drew her attention away and sent out a clone.
Xu Taiping fled the demoness Su Su and her black shadow for three hundred li, using clones and Endless Horizon to evade their attacks until he reached the giant rock near the Wilderness secret realm. Exhausted and wounded, he faced Su Su again as she tried to stall him while the black shadow gathered strength.