Recaps

Xu Taiping escaped the Poison King Cult and returned to Qingxuan after learning that Zhao Qian had been imprisoned. He helped Seventh Peak advance through the Seven Peaks Grand Competition, leaving his recovered seniors preparing to face First Peak while he nurtured his sword.

• Xu Taiping used clones to evade the assassins, learned that Jin Hezhi had hired them, and fought the Poison King Cult before Huang Que took him away.
• Huang Que revealed Zhao Qian’s imprisonment and Xu Taiping’s invitation to the Golden Scale Assembly, but Xu Taiping insisted on returning to help Seventh Peak challenge the Sect Master.
• Xu Taiping stopped He Jun from provoking Zhao Linglong, destroyed the trespassing First Peak disciples’ dantians, and defended Moon Perching Pavilion against Jin Yue until help arrived.
• Xu Taiping, Jiang Zhi, and Zhao Linglong seized the Clam Pearls, and Xu Taiping disproved Jin Hezhi’s accusation of using offensive spells by demonstrating his physical strength.
• Xu Taiping gave Jiang Zhi and Zhou Liang Grass Return Pills to heal their lingering injuries before the suspended-iron inscription contest.
• Wu Mo endured Soul Weeping and suspended five hundred and one jin of iron to complete her inscription and win her round.
• Zhou Liang suspended fourteen hundred jin and Jiang Zhi suspended thirty-six hundred jin, securing Seventh Peak’s victory over Fourth Peak.
• Yan Bing chose Seventh Peak as First Peak’s opponent, and Xu Taiping’s seniors vowed to fight without making him draw the sword he was nurturing.

The Seventh Peak defeated the First Peak in the suspended-iron contest, and Xu Taiping challenged Jin Hezhi in Sword Inquiry Qingxuan. After Xu Taiping forced Jin Hezhi to concede and Lin Buyu defeated Ye Xuan before withdrawing, Ye Xuan tried to kill her, but Xu Taiping intervened and demanded an explanation.

• Lin Buyu overheard Jin Hezhi planning to help Huang Qi obtain the Upper Azure Imperial Thunder Art, and Xu Taiping learned Huang Qi would use a Wang You Talisman to endure the soul-weeping affliction during the contest.
• Huang Qi failed to suspend and inscribe the required iron after Fairy Lingyue disrupted his talisman, giving Zhao Linglong the round by default.
• Zhou Liang completed the challenge with 1,900 jin of iron, then Jiang Zhi lifted the remaining iron and completed the verse, winning the contest for the Seventh Peak.
• Xu Taiping challenged Jin Hezhi for Sword Inquiry Qingxuan, while Fairy Lingyue explained the coming Heaven-Demon War and urged him to focus on the competition.
• Zhao Linglong accepted Mo Jun’s challenge, defeated him with the Red Immortal Silk, and collapsed with severe injuries, and Xu Taiping then challenged Jin Hezhi.
• Xu Taiping overwhelmed Jin Hezhi with his fists and forced him to concede after Jin Yue interfered, then learned Lin Buyu had challenged Ye Xuan.
• Lin Buyu fought Ye Xuan with her thunder sword techniques, landed a powerful strike, and conceded after confirming she had proved her point.
• Ye Xuan attacked Lin Buyu after she withdrew, but Xu Taiping cut apart his sword strike and demanded to know why he had attacked her.

Xu Taiping defeats Ye Xuan and becomes Qingxuan Sword Champion, but Zhou Tong moves against the Seventh Peak. Dugu Qingxiao and Zhao Qian confront Zhou Tong in turn, and Zhao Qian’s challenge ends with Zhou Tong summoning the demonic sword Tiangou.

• Xu Taiping defeats Ye Xuan after surviving his Spirit Refining-level power, but Zhou Tong attacks him and Xu Taiping kills Ye Xuan while shattering Zhou Tong’s Life-Bound Flying Sword.
• Dugu Qingxiao returns, and after Xu Taiping is named Qingxuan Sword Champion, Qingxiao formally challenges Zhou Tong on behalf of the Seventh Peak.
• Jin Yue discovers Jin Hezhi draining Qingxuan disciples with demonic cultivation and learns he has joined forces with Nine Nether.
• Qingxiao battles Zhou Tong and draws on the bone dragon’s power, but Zhao Qian arrives, breaks Zhou Tong’s Heavenly Thunder Sword Formation, and challenges him to a Sword Inquiry.
• Jin Yue frees Zhao Qian and tells him the truth about Qing’er’s death, then gives him a Pardon Order and Moonshadow Stone so he can return and confront Zhou Tong.
• Zhao Qian reveals his Geng Metal Sword Bone, retrieves his sword from beneath Five Elders Pool, and challenges Zhou Tong as a Spirit Refining Realm cultivator.
• Zhao Qian’s Second-Transformation Heavenly Thunder Sword breaks Zhou Tong’s sword, but Zhou Tong counters with the Demonic Sword Tiangou, whose Sun-Devouring Sword Qi threatens Zhao Qian.

After Qingxuan survived the demon assault, Xu Taiping recovered and set out with Huang Que to aid the besieged Heavenly Blade Sect. He defeated Mo Hai but could not stop Mo Yu from teleporting away with Duan Xiaoyu, leaving Xu Taiping to plan his journey and return to the sect’s unfinished affairs.

• Zhao Qian won the Sword Inquiry, but a demonic breach opened over Qingxuan and demon cultivators invaded after Jin Hezhi’s betrayal.
• Xu Taiping drew Rusty Lion under Recluse Sansan’s guidance, killed Thunder Lion, and helped drive back the demon assault before learning that Recluse Sansan was Daoxuan.
• Xu Taiping recovered at Xiaoyao Sect, agreed to attend the Golden Scale Assembly, and learned that a cultivator from Youyun Heaven had besieged the Heavenly Blade Sect.
• Xu Taiping and Huang Que watched Mo Hai attack the Sword Tomb, where Duan Xiaoyu fought him and was severely wounded before Elder Su intervened.
• Xu Taiping entered Mo Hai’s formation, overcame its suppression with his tempered body and flood dragon physique, and captured Mo Hai’s primordial spirit in the Azure Gourd.
• Mo Yu overwhelmed Xu Taiping with her pressure and escaped by teleporting away with Duan Xiaoyu, demanding Mo Hai’s divine soul in exchange for her release.
• Xu Taiping asked Huang Que to support the Heavenly Blade Sect, gave him a Chaos Stone and letters for Qingxuan, and was visited by Duan Xiaoyu’s mother.