Chapter Summaries

Emperor Chen met a gaunt old intruder who claimed Li Xingzhi had been killed and offered a bargain for the Dragon Map. The old man threatened to turn Great Chen’s enemies against it if Emperor Chen refused, leaving the emperor facing his blackmail.

• Emperor Chen discussed the coming campaign against Western Liang with Tong Huan and Cui Yizhong, and said his greater concern was the east and the sword lunatic.
• Tong Huan and Cui Yizhong left the palace separately, while Cui Yizhong cursed Tong Huan for shifting blame onto him.
• Emperor Chen went alone to the Quiet Heart Pavilion and encountered the gaunt old man who had ambushed Li Xingzhi.
• The old man claimed Li Xingzhi had died from poison and an arrow on Nameless Island in the Eastern Sea, but refused to reveal who had killed him.
• The old man showed Emperor Chen an incomplete piece of the Dragon Map and offered help against the Vertical Sword Sect, the Eastern Yang Kingdom, and Western Liang in exchange for the remaining pieces.
• The old man threatened to aid Great Chen’s enemies if Emperor Chen refused, and Emperor Chen accused him of blackmailing him.

Emperor Chen used the Human Emperor Talisman to trap the dark, gaunt old man and nearly force him to kill himself, but the old man escaped the palace. At Heaven's Mandate Gate, Wei Zhilin confronted him, and the old man claimed Li Xingzhi had died.

• Emperor Chen revealed the Human Emperor Talisman and used its power to command the dark, gaunt old man to die by his own hand.
• The dark, gaunt old man resisted the command, offered to eliminate the Eastern Yang Kingdom, then escaped through the hall roof after releasing smoke pellets.
• The dark, gaunt old man killed more than a dozen Imperial Guards masters who tried to stop him, and Emperor Chen ordered the guards not to pursue.
• At Heaven's Mandate Gate, the dark, gaunt old man was confronted by Wei Zhilin, who asked who he was.
• The dark, gaunt old man claimed he had seen Li Xingzhi poisoned and shot with an arrow on an island in the Eastern Sea, and showed Wei Zhilin a scrap of blue robe.

Wei Zhilin fought a mysterious black-clad swordsman at Heaven’s Mandate Gate after sensing Li Xingzhi’s Sword Intent, but the man escaped after Wei seized his pouch. The chapter then shifted to Qin Prefecture City, where Li Bie enjoyed his new standing after exposing Great Chen spies.

• Wei Zhilin sensed Li Xingzhi’s Sword Intent in the Imperial Palace and confronted a gaunt old man who claimed Heaven had killed his master.
• The old man attacked Wei Zhilin with his saber, killed an Imperial Guard commander, and drove Wei into a fierce exchange of techniques.
• Wei Zhilin evaded the old man’s lethal attacks and struck back with a golden-hand technique, seizing a cloth pouch from him.
• The old man escaped in a burst of smoke when another powerful presence approached, and Cheng Zi Ya arrived to help the injured Wei Zhilin.
• Wei Zhilin identified his opponent as likely the master of Unknown Island and gave Cheng Zi Ya the pouch to examine.
• In Qin Prefecture City, Li Bie celebrated his recovery and the rewards and trust he gained after uncovering Great Chen spies.

Li Bie maintained his cover as a reckless womanizer while secretly meeting Uncle Feng, who began revealing his past as a spy in Qin Prefecture City. Han Zhan learned that the Grand Commandant had summoned him to Wuwei and was sending General Guan Pingchao to Qin Prefecture, while the dispute over Chan’er’s proposed marriage to the Second Prince remained unresolved.

• Li Bie and Xixi pretended to spend the night together until their watcher left, then Li Bie slipped away to meet Uncle Feng.
• Han Zhan received the Grand Commandant’s secret letter summoning him to Wuwei and announcing that Guan Pingchao would assist Qin Prefecture’s defenses.
• Qin Kelan warned Han Zhan that the Second Prince was pressing for a marriage alliance, and Han Zhan vowed not to force Chan’er to marry him.
• Li Bie secretly entered a general store and descended to the basement to meet the ailing Uncle Feng.
• Uncle Feng told Li Bie that he had been a Knowledge and Practice Institute spy and revealed that Xixi was the abandoned girl he had raised and trained in espionage.

The old man revealed that Li Shan, Li Bie’s father, was betrayed and killed after discovering Zhantai Ming and the Second Prince’s men had slaughtered Great Chen soldiers. In prison, He An neared a breakthrough and attacked Lord Guan, but the man stopped him by asking whether he knew Han Chanjuan.

• The old man told Li Bie that Li Shan had survived a massacre in which Zhantai Ming and the Second Prince’s faction killed their own troops, only to be hunted and killed by Western Liang forces and Great Chen traitors.
• The old man revealed that Li Shan had named his six-year-old son Li Bie before he died, leaving Li Bie stunned.
• He An cultivated in his cell, sensed a fleeting connection with Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy, and considered how to escape without attracting stronger opponents.
• Lord Guan arrived to interrogate He An, ordered the jailers away, and asked him how he wanted to die.
• He An attacked Lord Guan through the bars, but Lord Guan easily countered him and stopped his next charge by asking whether he knew Han Chanjuan.

Guan Pingchao freed He An at Han Chanjuan’s request and sent him toward Chen Kingdom, while Xue Ning worried about Chanjuan’s future amid looming war. At court, Emperor Chen announced that he would personally lead a hundred thousand soldiers against Western Liang in three days, over his ministers’ objections.

• He An broke his shackles and threatened Guan Pingchao after learning Han Chanjuan might have been captured, but Guan revealed that Chanjuan had asked him to rescue He An.
• Guan Pingchao took He An from Qin Prefecture City and directed him toward Chen Kingdom, warning him not to let Chanjuan down.
• Xue Ning met Guan Pingchao after He An departed, and they discussed Chanjuan’s affection for He An and the danger posed by a possible war between Western Liang and Chen Kingdom.
• Emperor Chen announced at court that Chen would muster one hundred thousand soldiers to campaign against Western Liang in three days.
• The ministers protested Emperor Chen’s plan to lead the expedition himself, but he rejected their objections and dismissed the court.

Fang Yizhi reunited with He An as Emperor Chen led a massive campaign against Western Liang, capturing Yongdeng and Gulang. With the Chen army advancing, Kan Riletu summoned his advisers and considered using Han Zongwang, whose son’s secret return raised suspicions.

• Fang Yizhi learned that Emperor Chen had arrived at Lanzhou with a hundred thousand troops and reunited with the returning He An.
• Emperor Chen’s army attacked Yongdeng, and the Western Liang defenders faced its cavalry, formations, and siege weapons.
• Kan Riletu received word that Yongdeng and then Gulang had fallen to the Chen army.
• Kan Riletu summoned Chancellor Hu Bilü and Second Prince Kan Yong to discuss how to resist the invasion.
• Kan Riletu considered employing Han Zongwang, then reacted with alarm when Sahami reported that Han Zongwang’s son Han Zhan had secretly returned home.

Kan Riletu ordered Western Liang to reinforce Qin Prefecture and watch Han Zongwang as the Chen army advanced, but the news of Xie River’s fall caused him to collapse. As Kan Yong and Sahami plotted to seize control and approach Han Zongwang, Han Zhan struggled to find a cure for his gravely ill father.

• Kan Riletu ordered Hubilu to send troops to Qin Prefecture and directed Kan Yong to watch the Grand Commandant's Residence.
• A messenger reported that the Chen army had taken Xie River and reached Qin Prefecture City, and Kan Riletu collapsed after hearing how the city had fallen.
• Sahami urged Kan Yong to seal the capital, summon the eldest prince back, and secure Han Zongwang's support; Kan Yong agreed and gave Sahami a document to visit him.
• Kan Yong found Silent Bone-Dissolving Powder and considered using it against Han Zongwang.
• At the Grand Commandant's Residence, Han Zhan watched physicians treat Han Zongwang, whose illness had worsened despite their efforts.

Han Zhan’s household appeared unable to find a cure for Han Zongwang’s illness, while Sahami visited with an imperial decree and discovered a second decree had brought the Grand Commandant poisoned wine. Han Zongwang drank it all, then revealed that he had recovered and attained full mastery of his realm as thunder and rain arrived.

• Several physicians failed to offer Han Zhan a reliable cure for Han Zongwang, and Han Zhan drove them from the residence.
• Sahami delivered an imperial decree from Kan Yong and saw Han Zongwang behaving as though he could not recognize anyone.
• Kannina arrived with another decree and a pot of medicinal wine, which Sahami suspected was poisoned.
• Han Zongwang seized the wine and drank the entire pot despite Han Zhan and the others trying to stop him.
• Han Zongwang regained his composure, reflected on Li Xingzhi’s insight into the Great Dao, and Zhu Shifu congratulated him on reaching full mastery as thunder sounded and rain fell.

Han Zongwang revealed that the court’s poisoned wine could not kill him and declared he would defy Heaven, while Great Chen’s Emperor Chen besieged Qin Prefecture City. The chapter ended with Emperor Chen learning that the valiant youth fighting the Western Liang cavalry was named He An.

• Han Zongwang expelled the poison from his body, and Han Zhan and his allies urged him to rebel against the court.
• Han Zongwang rebuked Han Zhan for his ignorance, then declared that he would defy Heaven rather than submit.
• Great Chen’s army and Western Liang’s defenders fought a devastating siege at Qin Prefecture City for seven days and nights.
• Kan Cheng brought fifty thousand troops to oversee the defense but kept the rest near the Capital as he watched the succession struggle.
• Emperor Chen Zhao Chang surveyed the battle and asked about a young fighter who was routing Western Liang cavalry.
• A flag bearer identified the fighters as Knowledge and Practice Institute disciples, including Gu Qingzhou, Fang Yizhi, and He An.

He An fought through the Great Chen assault on Qin Prefecture City after breaking through to the Dao Integration Realm, while Gu Qingzhou lost himself in a bloodthirsty frenzy. As He An carried Gu Qingzhou toward Fang Yizhi’s troops, Han Zhan escaped through a secret passage and Guan Pingchao set the City Lord’s Residence ablaze.

• Emperor Chen ordered the three armies to press their assault, forcing the Western Liang Cavalry back toward the city as Gu Qingzhou fought ferociously among the ranks.
• He An defeated a Western Liang Hundred-Man Commander and reflected on his breakthrough to the Dao Integration Realm and the secrets surrounding his uncle He Kui and his own origins.
• He An rescued Gu Qingzhou from attacking him in a battle frenzy, carried him on his back, and fought toward Fang Yizhi’s troops.
• At the City Lord’s Residence, Han Zhan learned the fighting had slackened and agreed to escape through the Secret Passage while Guan Pingchao took charge of the city.
• After Han Zhan and his followers departed, Guan Pingchao set the City Lord’s Residence on fire.

The author sent belated New Year wishes and reflected on how revisiting The Legend of the Condor Heroes changed their perspective on its martial world. They then described Xiangyang as a symbol of resistance, where Guo Jing and Huang Rong’s defense of the city joined fiction and history in an enduring image of devotion to country and people.

• The author greeted readers for the New Year and wished them happiness, health, and prosperity.
• The author watched The Legend of the Condor Heroes and reflected on how their feelings about its story had changed with age.
• The author described Xiangyang’s historical and cultural significance as a city repeatedly shaped by war.
• The author connected Guo Jing and Huang Rong’s defense of Xiangyang with Southern Song commander Lü Wenhuan and the city’s historical resistance.
• The author presented Xiangyang’s defenders as an enduring emblem of serving the country and people.

The Great Chen army captured Qin Prefecture, but Han Zhan and Guan Pingchao escaped with the Black Cavalry and forced Ling Wenyue’s troops to retreat. Emperor Chen ordered defenses strengthened and began preparing for a wider conflict with Western Liang and the Eastern Yang Kingdom.

• As Great Chen forces breached Qin Prefecture, Guan Pingchao led Kan Cheng toward a secret passage while Li Bie killed the prince and his guards.
• Emperor Chen ordered Ling Wenyue to intercept about thirty thousand Western Liang troops fleeing south of the city.
• The Black Cavalry emerged from a shattered valley, withstood Great Chen’s arrows, and tore through Ling Wenyue’s formations.
• Han Zhan and Guan Pingchao revealed themselves, declared Qin Prefecture the boundary, and withdrew northwest with the Black Cavalry.
• Emperor Chen ordered intelligence on the Eastern Yang Kingdom, defenses along the border, and Kan Cheng’s head sent to Wuwei City.

Han Zhan's army advanced toward Wuwei City as the Western Liang court reacted to the death of Kan Cheng and the Chen army's invasion. Han Zongwang defeated and sealed Man Bodhisattva, while Kan Riletu demanded answers in court and Kan Yong accused someone in the palace of colluding with the Chen army.

• Han Zhan's forces reached Sweet Spring Town, while a warning from the Great Shaman prompted Kan Riletu to summon the Western Liang court.
• Han Zongwang confronted Man Bodhisattva in the Red Crystal Chamber and froze the Great Shaman and his shamanic magic into a sealed ice palace.
• Kan Riletu learned that Kan Cheng had been beheaded, the Chen army had taken more than three hundred li of territory, and Qin Prefecture had fallen.
• Kan Riletu demanded to know why Juyan City and Jinchuan City had not acted and why the disaster had not been reported sooner.
• Sahami nudged Kan Yong, who claimed that someone in the palace had colluded with the Chen army and caused Kan Cheng's defeat.
• Kan Riletu ordered Kan Yong to explain what he knew before the nobles and ministers.

Han Zongwang seized Wuwei City by killing Kan Riletu and taking the throne, then confronted a white-robed envoy of Heaven’s Way. He drove the envoy back and warned Heaven’s Way not to interfere in Western Liang again.

• Chancellor Hu Bilü accused the Han Household of causing Qin Prefecture’s fall as the Chen army advanced toward Sunset Glow Pass.
• Han Zongwang entered the palace, froze Kan Yong into an ice sculpture, shattered the emperor’s defenses, and killed Kan Riletu.
• Han Zongwang took the throne, ordered an enthronement ceremony, and received the officials’ allegiance as the Black-Armor Army proclaimed him emperor.
• A white-robed youth from Heaven’s Way confronted Han Zongwang outside the palace, but Han Zongwang’s sword forced him to retreat.
• Han Zongwang challenged Heaven’s Way and declared that Western Liang belonged to him, warning it not to interfere in the Human World again.

Han Zongwang defied the Heavenly Dao in an illusory battle and then confronted Emperor Chen’s surprise force at Great Green Gorge. Ling Wenyue’s cavalry charged, but Han Zongwang began cutting through the army, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Han Zongwang defeated an immortal youth in an illusory realm, sacrificed ten years of his life with his final sword strike, and was identified by two immortals as the second heaven-defier in three hundred years.
• Emperor Chen ordered Ling Wenyue to lead one hundred thousand elite cavalry in a surprise attack on Juyan City, intending to use Northern Liang forces to make Han Zongwang appear responsible for a massacre.
• Ling Wenyue’s army reached Great Green Gorge and found Northern Liang heads and a wolf banner at its entrance, where Han Zongwang warned them to withdraw.
• Ling Wenyue ordered his forces to charge, but Han Zongwang killed the leading cavalry with his Nine-Stone Hard Bow and Nine-Linked Pearl Arrows.
• Han Zongwang drew his Ring-Pommel Saber and tore through the shield formation, then shattered the armor of the nearest heavy cavalry with a vast sweep of saber Qi.

Han Zongwang routed Emperor Chen’s army at Great Green Gorge, prompting Ling Wenyue to urge the emperor to seek help from Imperial Preceptor Li Xingzhi. After returning to the capital, Gu Qingzhou visited Feng Chun’s mother and, when she refused to leave her home, helped her establish Spring Renewal Academy in her son’s memory.

• Han Zongwang used his three strikes to devastate the Chen army and warned Emperor Chen not to cross the Golden Water River again.
• Ling Wenyue told Emperor Chen that Han Zongwang had surpassed his master and that only Imperial Preceptor Li Xingzhi could defeat him.
• Emperor Chen ordered his forces to withdraw, garrison Qin Prefecture, and defend the frontier as Western Liang fell and Han Zhan founded the Han kingdom.
• Emperor Chen rewarded the returning generals and punished Cui Yizhong and other Cui Family officials for land seizures and profiteering.
• Gu Qingzhou visited Feng Chun’s mother, told her how Feng Chun had died saving him, and asked her to come to the capital.
• Feng Chun’s mother refused to leave her home and asked Gu Qingzhou to build a village school named Spring Renewal Academy.

Gu Qingzhou visited Ding Wenruo in Langzhong, let go of his old love, and promised to help bring her together with He An. In Watermill Head Village, Han Chanjuan learned that He An might return soon, while Fan Youfu hinted that larger forces were stirring.

• Gu Qingzhou visited Feng Chun's mother, arranged support for her and the village, then traveled to Langzhong to see Ding Wenruo.
• Gu Qingzhou paid respects at Minister Ding's grave and told Ding Wenruo that he accepted her feelings for He An and would help them reunite.
• Gu Qingzhou apologized to Ding Wenruo, gave her medicine for He An, and rode away, leaving her a safflower packet and a note about the Welcoming Spring School.
• Han Chanjuan recalled how she had settled in Watermill Head Village and become a beloved teacher while learning stories about He An's childhood.
• Han Chanjuan learned from Fan Youfu that his son would return next month, then hurried away to prepare for He An's possible return.
• Fan Youfu reflected that Parasol Tree Mountain had entered the fray and that turmoil was approaching.

He An and Fang Yizhi recounted their military service to the Knowledge and Practice Institute, and Lin Qiu Chi urged its students to become strong rather than merely complain. Wei Zhilin and Cheng Zi Ya uncovered evidence linking a mysterious poison to Minister Ding’s death and Han Zhan to the destruction of the reinforcements at Qin Prefecture, while Wei warned that they needed more evidence before confronting the emperor.

• He An and Fang Yizhi told Wei Zhilin about the war, including Feng Chun’s sacrifice, and Cheng Zi Ya arrived in anger.
• The institute’s students demanded revenge and protested unfair treatment, but Lin Qiu Chi silenced them and urged them to study and cultivate their strength.
• Cheng Zi Ya showed Wei Zhilin that the white powder from the mysterious man’s bottle was a poison that could mimic illness and identified it as the likely cause of Minister Ding’s death.
• Wei Zhilin revealed a secret letter showing that a map of the reinforcement supply routes had been found in Han Zhan’s study, and the letter concealed a Western Liang Wolf Totem.
• Cheng Zi Ya vowed to kill the emperor, but Wei Zhilin warned that Han Zhan and Han Zongwang posed a greater threat and urged him to wait for proof of the emperor’s role in the Eldest Prince’s assassination and the Former Emperor’s death.

Emperor Chen questioned Master Yushu about Great Chen’s future, but the monk’s cryptic prophecies challenged the emperor’s faith in his own power. Later, Great Chen prospered under a new reign era, while an old man remained alone on a distant island in the Eastern Sea.

• Emperor Chen ordered Cui Yizhong to prepare Cui Zhixia for the Vertical Sword Sect’s Sword Tomb Secret Realm and promised the Cui Family lasting honor if Zhixia obtained the Forging Art.
• Emperor Chen reflected on Li Xingzhi, then learned that Master Yushu of Drepung Monastery was preaching in the capital and went to meet him.
• Emperor Chen demanded to know how far Great Chen’s borders would extend, but Master Yushu answered with ominous visions and warnings about fate.
• Emperor Chen drew his sword against Master Yushu and declared that he believed only in the sword in his hand, while the monk continued to speak of Heaven’s secrets and rebirth.
• In the sixteenth year of Continuing Peace, irrigation ended droughts across Great Chen, and Emperor Chen changed the reign designation to Heaven’s Grant and held a grand military review.
• An old man sat with a sword on a solitary island in the Eastern Sea.