Recaps

Lu Qingshan’s accusation that both factions were colluding with demons pushed the Thousand Sects Alliance and Heavenly Baleful Valley to the brink of battle. Two Nascent Soul True Lords arrived just in time to announce that the missing Core Disciples had been found, and the returning Qin Ruoxue and Ye Liuli began searching the opposing ranks for Chun Xiaobai.

• Lu Qingshan’s words left both sides believing they had to fight or risk being branded demon collaborators, and Ling Tianchen and Ye Xiaotian prepared to give the attack order.
• Two Nascent Soul True Lords arrived and urged the factions to stop, but Ling Tianchen and Ye Xiaotian insisted that battle was unavoidable.
• The two True Lords announced that the missing Core Disciples had been found, freezing the battlefield before the factions could attack.
• Qin Ruoxue and Ye Liuli returned with the other sect scions, and Bing Ningyue and Ye Xiaotian rushed to check on them.
• Qin Ruoxue and Ye Liuli ignored their anxious elders and scanned the opposing ranks for Chun Xiaobai.

Qin Ruoxue and Ye Liuli explained that a mountain bandit had kidnapped them and the other disciples, revealing that the two camps had nearly fought because they blamed each other. As the leaders pieced together the bandit's ransom scheme, they were left astonished by his strength and cunning.

• Qin Ruoxue and Ye Liuli learned that the assembled forces had come to rescue them after both camps blamed each other for the kidnappings.
• Qin Ruoxue and Ye Liuli told their elders that a mountain bandit had ambushed them during the trial, held them in a Cave, and demanded ransom.
• The two Saintesses described the bandit's unusual techniques and admitted that he had kidnapped many other disciples as well.
• The Sacred Sect representatives realized the bandit had captured even the strongest young disciples and dared to demand ransom from the region's most powerful figures.
• The gathered leaders pieced together how the bandit had used early releases and gradually reduced ransom demands to make his scheme succeed.

The Eastern Region’s sect leaders learned that a young thief had kidnapped their disciples, extorted ransom, and manipulated both sides into nearly starting a devastating war. With the threat of war lifted, the leaders remained too embarrassed to be the first to call off the confrontation.

• The captives insisted their kidnapper was a young man, leaving the sect leaders amazed by how thoroughly he had deceived them.
• Lu Yunfei described the bandits’ torture methods, prompting the Sacred Sect representatives to realize how badly they had been outmaneuvered.
• Ling Tianchen and Ye Xiaotian struggled with shame as they considered how their reputations had been ruined by the thief.
• Ye Liuli and Qin Ruoxue realized the thief’s cunning and recalled how he had violated their dignity.
• Gu Shuangshuang praised the thief, planned to find him and work with him, then slipped away unnoticed.
• Both sides realized the thief had not been working with demons and felt relieved that war could be avoided, but neither dared to propose stopping the confrontation.

Ye Xiaotian and Ling Tianchen tried to get witnesses to claim Chun Xiaobai had powerful backing, but Ye Liuli and Qin Ruoxue insisted he was a seasoned mountain bandit. When Bing Ningyue stopped them from pressuring Qin Ruoxue, the sect leaders looked for someone to blame and turned their attention to Lu Qingshan.

• Ye Xiaotian winked at Ye Liuli and urged her to say an expert had guided the bandit, but she insisted he was an unaided outlaw and demanded that Mountain of Ten Thousand Spirits be sealed.
• Ling Tianchen tried to guide the Thousand Sects Alliance witnesses toward a face-saving explanation, but they described Chun Xiaobai as a vicious, experienced bandit.
• Qin Ruoxue said Chun Xiaobai was young, practiced in robbery, and likely from a notorious bandit den, then urged the leaders to seal off the mountain.
• Bing Ningyue unleashed a freezing aura that silenced the leaders when they tried to pressure Qin Ruoxue to change her account.
• The sect leaders decided they needed a scapegoat and turned their attention to Lu Qingshan, who feared they were about to beat him again.

Ling Tianchen and the other alliance leaders accused Lu Qingshan of secretly helping the outlaw by repeatedly giving advice that benefited him. Lu Qingshan invoked the Emperor Pavilion to stop the elders from attacking, and Ling Tianchen intervened just as one elder prepared to strike again.

• Ling Tianchen realized Lu Qingshan's past advice had repeatedly helped the outlaw, and an elder accused him of being in league with him.
• The elders listed Lu Qingshan's actions, including diverting suspicion from the Heavenly Baleful Valley and urging the alliance to pay the ransom, as evidence that he had sabotaged them.
• Lu Qingshan denied the accusations and insisted that his advice had been meant to help the alliance, though he secretly feared the consequences for his sect.
• When the elders crowded around him, Lu Qingshan accused them of using the incident to retaliate against his Azure Cloud Sect and curry favor with the Emperor Pavilion.
• The elders hesitated to attack Lu Qingshan for fear of offending the Emperor Pavilion, but one elder prepared to charge anyway.
• Ling Tianchen ordered the elders to stop before they could strike Lu Qingshan.

Ling Tianchen persuaded Lu Qingshan to take the blame for the Alliance’s humiliation in exchange for magical treasures and spirit stones. Lu agreed after securing a written agreement, leaving Ling to draft it and plan to make everyone present share the cost.

• Ling Tianchen decided that someone had to confess to being the mole to protect the Thousand Sects Alliance’s reputation, then approached Lu Qingshan privately.
• Ling offered Lu a Heaven-Tier Magical Treasure and spirit stones to claim he had colluded with the bandit, and increased the offer when Lu hesitated.
• Ling argued that the Azure Cloud Sect’s already poor reputation would suffer little from taking the blame, while Lu worried about the sect’s standing and his authority to decide.
• Ling proposed that Lu keep one Heaven-Tier Magical Treasure and a hundred million spirit stones while the written agreement listed three treasures and four hundred million spirit stones.
• Lu agreed on condition that Ling first provide a written agreement, and Ling began drafting it while deciding that everyone present would help pay.

Ling Tianchen and Lu Qingshan staged a confession to blame the Azure Cloud Sect for the failed operation, letting the Alliance and Sacred Sects avoid public humiliation. Qin Ruoxue suspected their story was false and challenged the leaders' conclusion.

• Ling Tianchen handed Lu Qingshan a Storage Ring and pretended to expose him as the traitor.
• Lu Qingshan confessed to working with the bandit and claimed he had acted to restore the Azure Cloud Sect's standing.
• The elders realized the confession was staged and joined the performance, while Ling Tianchen announced severe punishments for the Azure Cloud Sect.
• The Sacred Sect representatives accepted the blame and praised the decision to avoid becoming laughingstocks.
• Qin Ruoxue questioned the account, saying the matter might not be as it appeared.

Qin Ruoxue nearly exposed the Thousand Sects Alliance’s cover-up, but Lu Qingshan’s performance and Bing Ningyue’s warning stopped her. Seeing the Alliance use a scapegoat, Ye Xiaotian decided to make Zheng Tianyuan take the blame for Heavenly Baleful Valley, leaving Zheng stunned.

• Qin Ruoxue challenged the claim that Lu Qingshan had conspired with the Little Bandit, but Lu Qingshan interrupted her by pretending to confess and beg her to stop defending him.
• Qin Ruoxue realized Lu Qingshan had been paid to shoulder the blame, but Bing Ningyue’s warning made her hold back from exposing the truth.
• The Thousand Sects Alliance’s leaders felt relieved when the disciples accepted Lu Qingshan as the culprit and focused their anger on him.
• Ye Liuli urged Ye Xiaotian to surround the Mountain of Ten Thousand Spirits and search for the Little Bandit, while Ye Xiaotian worried about his authority and the sect’s unity.
• Ye Xiaotian recognized that the Alliance had found a scapegoat and ordered Grand Elder Zheng Tianyuan to take the blame, shocking Zheng.

Ye Xiaotian persuaded Zheng Tianyuan to take the blame for the Heavenly Baleful Valley’s disastrous actions by promising him riches and retirement. Zheng Tianyuan confessed to the staged betrayal, leaving the Thousand Sects Alliance and Sacred Sect envoys wondering whether the valley had truly harbored a traitor.

• Ye Xiaotian promised Zheng Tianyuan a top-grade Heaven Tier Magical Treasure, two hundred million spirit stones, and a peaceful retirement in exchange for taking the blame, and Zheng Tianyuan agreed.
• Ye Xiaotian publicly accused Zheng Tianyuan of delaying the investigation, misleading the valley, and worsening the conflict with the Thousand Sects Alliance.
• The Heavenly Baleful Valley elders distanced themselves from Zheng Tianyuan as Ye Liuli tried to defend him and explain that the Little Bandit had acted alone.
• Zheng Tianyuan interrupted Ye Liuli by kneeling and confessing that he had schemed to collect ransom money from the Thousand Sects Alliance.
• Ye Xiaotian lamented that he had trusted a traitor, while the Thousand Sects Alliance representatives and Sacred Sect envoy watched in stunned disbelief.

Ye Xiaotian and Ling Tianchen covered up the chaos caused by the Little Bandit by blaming scapegoats and reconciling their sects. Elsewhere, Chun Xiaobai disguised himself among the survivors of the Mountain of Ten Thousand Spirits and complained about losing his savings to the bandit.

• Sacred Sect representatives praised Ye Xiaotian and Zheng Tianyuan’s supposed handling of a traitor, while Ye Xiaotian sentenced Zheng to the sect’s forbidden grounds.
• Heavenly Baleful Valley’s elders mistook Zheng Tianyuan’s punishment for a comfortable retreat and admired his apparent sacrifice, while Ye Liuli protested her father’s plan to capture the Little Bandit for her.
• Ye Xiaotian rallied Heavenly Baleful Valley’s disciples, blamed the crisis on a villain who had sown discord, and diverted suspicion from the Little Bandit.
• Ye Xiaotian and Ling Tianchen exchanged apologies across the divide and acknowledged that both sides had been caught in misunderstandings.
• Chun Xiaobai left the Mountain of Ten Thousand Spirits disguised among other disciples and angrily claimed the Little Bandit had stolen his savings.

Chun Xiaobai persuaded the other disciples to scout ahead and avoid drawing attention as they left the Mountain of Ten Thousand Spirits, suspecting someone might be waiting to catch him. The scout returned to report that the Thousand Sects Alliance had surrounded the exit with four to five million people, leaving Chun Xiaobai and the others fearing they were trapped.

• Chun Xiaobai listened to the other disciples discuss their losses and cautiously led them out of the Mountain of Ten Thousand Spirits.
• When no one appeared to be hunting for the bandit, Chun Xiaobai suspected Qin Ruoxue and Ye Liuli might be waiting outside to ambush him.
• Chun Xiaobai convinced the group that their late departure could make others suspect they had found treasures, and proposed sending a scout to check the exit.
• Chun Xiaobai sent a sharp-looking disciple ahead and led the rest into a concealed valley a hundred li from the exit.
• The scout returned and reported that the Thousand Sects Alliance Leader had surrounded the exit with four to five million people, alarming Chun Xiaobai and the others.

Chun Xiaobai learned that the bandit had been identified as Azure Cloud Sect elder Lu Qingshan, who had confessed and received punishment. Convinced Lu Qingshan had taken the blame for payment, Chun Xiaobai led the disciples toward the mountain’s edge to investigate.

• Chun Xiaobai panicked when a disciple reported that the bandit had been identified as someone from the Azure Cloud Sect.
• Chun Xiaobai discovered that Lu Qingshan had been named as the culprit, confessed, and been punished by the Alliance Leader.
• Chun Xiaobai guessed that Lu Qingshan had accepted payment to take the blame and grew angry at the thought of the elder’s larger reward.
• Chun Xiaobai led the disciples toward the Mountain of Ten Thousand Spirits’ edge to find out what had happened.
• Chun Xiaobai saw the warships and, when nobody came to arrest him, became more certain that Lu Qingshan had been paid.

Chun Xiaobai boarded the Azure Cloud Sect’s flying boat to confront Lu Qingshan about the fortune he had made from the robbery. Lu Qingshan, meanwhile, hid his spirit stones and Heaven-Tier Magical Treasures, then went out to restore the sect disciples’ morale and clear his name.

• Chun Xiaobai spotted Li Xuanfeng and Lin Yue boarding the Azure Cloud Sect’s flying boat but could not find Wu Liang.
• Chun Xiaobai slipped aboard the Azure Cloud Sect’s boat, intent on finding out how much Lu Qingshan had earned.
• Li Xuanfeng and Lin Yue heard disciples defending Lu Qingshan, and their suspicions of Chun Xiaobai returned; Li Xuanfeng chose to stay silent while Lin Yue considered a scheme.
• Lu Qingshan admired the spirit stones and four Heaven-Tier Magical Treasures he had obtained, then hid them when an elder knocked.
• After an elder warned that the Azure Cloud Sect disciples had lost morale, Lu Qingshan went out to restore the sect’s dignity and clear his name.

Lu Qingshan rallied the Azure Cloud Sect disciples with a speech that concealed his suspected payoff, while Chun Xiaobai decided he deserved half the stolen fortune. When Lin Yue tried to tell Lu that someone else had robbed Qin Ruoxue and the Core Disciples, Lu slapped her and branded her a liar, leaving her begging for forgiveness.

• Lu Qingshan gave the Azure Cloud Sect disciples an impassioned speech about becoming stronger, restoring their trust in him and silencing suspicion that he had taken a bribe.
• Chun Xiaobai concluded that Lu had pocketed a huge payoff and resolved to claim half of it.
• Lin Yue approached Lu and offered to help identify the real culprit behind the robbery of Qin Ruoxue and the Core Disciples.
• Lu slapped Lin Yue before she could finish, then declared that he had already killed the bandit and accused her of making up lies to curry favor.
• The disciples turned against Lin Yue, who knelt and repeatedly apologized to Lu.

Chun Xiaobai confronted Lu Qingshan in private, claiming he knew Lu had taken a bribe to cover up the Bandit's escape and threatening to expose him. Lu suspected Chun Xiaobai was connected to the Bandits, and the chapter ended as he reached for a Storage Ring.

• Lu Qingshan left after silencing Lin Yue, relieved that he had made the Bandit's death seem unquestionable.
• Chun Xiaobai followed Lu to a secluded corridor and asked to speak privately.
• Chun Xiaobai claimed he had been kidnapped by the Bandit and overheard the robbers' plans, then accused Lu of taking money to shoulder the blame.
• Chun Xiaobai threatened to distribute recordings of Lu's negotiations if he was harmed and demanded half of what Lu had pocketed.
• Lu suspected Chun Xiaobai was the Bandit chief or his close associate, then forced a smile and took out a Storage Ring.

Chun Xiaobai challenged Lu Qingshan over the Azure Cloud Sect’s payment for taking the blame, but Lu explained the sect’s ruined reputation and its deal with the Thousand Sects Alliance. Chun still suspected Lu had concealed part of the payment, and Lu prepared to reveal the truth.

• Chun Xiaobai rejected Lu Qingshan’s offer of five million spirit stones and argued that the sect’s reputation was worth more.
• Lu Qingshan explained that the Thousand Sects Alliance had offered fifty million spirit stones, forty million of which the sect would receive.
• Lu Qingshan recognized Chun Xiaobai’s connection to Yun Huoyue and reconsidered whether he could be the notorious Bandit.
• Lu Qingshan described how Yun Huoyue’s conflict with the Emperor Pavilion had left the Azure Cloud Sect shunned across the Eastern Region.
• Chun Xiaobai suspected Lu Qingshan had pocketed more than he admitted, so Lu began to confess the actual amount.

Chun Xiaobai realized Lu Qingshan was hiding far more than fifty million spirit stones and demanded a larger share, using his evidence to pressure the elder. When Lu Qingshan threatened to bring in the Sect Master, Chun Xiaobai reconsidered how dangerous it would be to collect any money he extorted.

• Lu Qingshan offered Chun Xiaobai ten million spirit stones and asked for the Image Recording Stones and Message Transmission Talismans, but Chun Xiaobai demanded fifty million and the Heaven-Tier Magical Treasure.
• Chun Xiaobai recognized Lu Qingshan’s low-opening-price bargaining tactic and inferred that the actual spoils included five hundred million spirit stones and several Heaven-Tier Magical Artifacts.
• Lu Qingshan accidentally confirmed Chun Xiaobai’s suspicion, then realized Chun Xiaobai could expose his deception and Ling Tianchen’s role in it.
• Chun Xiaobai demanded two hundred and fifty million spirit stones and two Heaven-Tier Magical Artifacts, threatening to reveal the evidence if his friends did not hear from him within four hours.
• Lu Qingshan said he would pay only fifty million unless Chun Xiaobai negotiated with the Sect Master, and Chun Xiaobai worried that the Sect Master would see through his bluff and kill him.

Chun Xiaobai bargained with Lu Qingshan over the price of silencing more than a hundred disciples from other sects, probing how much Lu Qingshan had secretly kept from a five-hundred-million-spirit-stone deal. They reached a settlement, with Chun Xiaobai demanding a hundred million spirit stones instead of a Heaven-Tier Magical Artifact.

• Chun Xiaobai claimed that over a hundred disciples from other sects had devised the plan and offered to negotiate with them.
• Lu Qingshan tried to limit his offer to fifty million spirit stones, then raised it to sixty million when Chun Xiaobai threatened to bring in the Sect Master.
• Chun Xiaobai demanded a hundred million spirit stones and a Heaven-Tier Magical Artifact, revealing that he had inferred Lu Qingshan's hidden share.
• Lu Qingshan, unwilling to surrender his entire share, offered either a hundred million spirit stones or one Heaven-Tier Magical Artifact, along with Inner Sect disciple status.
• Chun Xiaobai accepted and asked for the hundred million spirit stones instead of the artifact.

Chun Xiaobai extorted a huge payment from Lu Qingshan, then shared spirit stones with Fang Yuan and Bai Jin'er as they prepared to leave and rebuild Black Wind Stronghold. He dismissed the idea of claiming a Heaven-Tier Magical Treasure until he heard it might be worth up to two hundred million spirit stones.

• Lu Qingshan reluctantly gave Chun Xiaobai a Storage Ring filled with spirit stones, while secretly planning to kill him once he returned with the recording and message talismans.
• Chun Xiaobai met Fang Yuan and Bai Jin'er in the woods and gave each of them twenty million spirit stones.
• Chun Xiaobai explained that he wanted to build Black Wind Stronghold around loyal companions and began taking stock of his resources.
• Fang Yuan reminded Chun Xiaobai that their Heavenly Baleful Valley Identity Tokens could help them claim a Heaven-Tier Magical Treasure, but Chun Xiaobai initially refused.
• Fang Yuan said the treasure might sell for one or two hundred million spirit stones, making Chun Xiaobai reconsider its value.

Bai Jin'er explained why heaven-tier magical treasures were so valuable, and Chun Xiaobai regretted selling one without knowing its worth. He decided to build up his strength by returning to the Azure Cloud Sect and eventually taking it over.

• Bai Jin'er explained that the Artifact Refining Alliance monopolized magical treasures, making heaven-tier treasures scarce and worth at least a hundred million spirit stones.
• Chun Xiaobai lamented that he had missed out on a fortune and resolved to learn more about the Cultivation World and its combat techniques.
• Chun Xiaobai blamed Lu Qingshan for profiting from the deal and decided that small-time robberies were not worth his effort.
• Chun Xiaobai announced that they would return to the Azure Cloud Sect, seize control of it, and rename it Black Wind Stronghold.
• Fang Yuan and Bai Jin'er were stunned by Chun Xiaobai's plan.

Chun Xiaobai returned to the Azure Cloud Sect with Fang Yuan and Bai Jin'er, relying on his leverage over Lu Qingshan to protect them and advance his plans. Lu Qingshan briefly suspected Chun Xiaobai was the Bandit Chief, then learned that Chun Xiaobai had secured even more leverage over him.

• Chun Xiaobai persuaded Fang Yuan and Bai Jin'er to return to the Azure Cloud Sect, assuring them that Lu Qingshan would not dare report them.
• Chun Xiaobai planned to use the message transmission stones, image recording talismans, and Lu Qingshan's embezzlement of a heaven-tier magical artifact to make the sect serve his needs.
• Lu Qingshan grew suspicious that Chun Xiaobai was the Bandit Chief when he failed to return with the stones and talismans.
• Chun Xiaobai arrived at Lu Qingshan's door with the stones and talismans, easing Lu Qingshan's suspicions before refusing to enter the Cultivation Room.
• When Lu Qingshan tried to force Chun Xiaobai inside, Chun Xiaobai threatened to have his hundred-odd brothers report Lu Qingshan's embezzlement of a supreme heaven-tier magical artifact to the Sect Master.
• Lu Qingshan realized the artifact scandal was a bottomless abyss, while Chun Xiaobai urged him to calm down.

After the sect trial ended, Chun Xiaobai explained to Bai Jin'er and Fang Yuan why they had been right to give up the chance at the Heaven-Tier Magical Artifact: without the strength to protect it, possessing it would bring disaster. Bai Jin'er admired his careful planning, while Chun Xiaobai was left determined to grow stronger and unaware of her feelings.

• Lu Qingshan angrily shut himself in the Cultivation Room and swallowed his resentment because Chun Xiaobai could expose his embezzlement of the Heaven-Tier Magical Artifact.
• The elders returned and distributed the trial rewards before the Azure Cloud Sect's Flying Boat departed Mount Wanning.
• Bai Jin'er asked Chun Xiaobai why he had not used their Identity Tokens to claim first place, and he warned her and Fang Yuan that they could not safely keep the sect-guarding treasure.
• Chun Xiaobai admitted that losing the chance at a hundred million spirit stones hurt, but it strengthened his resolve to become more powerful.
• Bai Jin'er reflected on Chun Xiaobai's caution and secretly wondered why he treated her like a brother; Chun Xiaobai noticed her staring and asked whether he had a flower on his face.

Chun Xiaobai used his leverage over Lu Qingshan to demand Inner Sect status for himself and two friends. Lu Qingshan considered the request, recognizing that keeping Chun Xiaobai close might help him control the threat.

• Fang Yuan asked Chun Xiaobai how he and his friends could enter the Inner Sect while still at the eighth layer of Qi Refining, and Chun Xiaobai promised to handle it.
• Lu Qingshan consoled himself about Chun Xiaobai’s threats, then admired the superior heaven-tier sword he had kept for himself.
• Chun Xiaobai knocked on Lu Qingshan’s door, pointed out his bleeding finger, and reminded him how dangerous the sword was.
• Lu Qingshan pulled Chun Xiaobai inside and asked what he wanted, and Chun Xiaobai requested Inner Sect places for Bai Jin'er and Fang Yuan as well as himself.
• Chun Xiaobai warned that he might reveal Lu Qingshan’s secret if left vulnerable in the Outer Sect, and Lu Qingshan restrained himself from striking him while considering the benefits of keeping him nearby.

After forcing Lu Qingshan to show him his Heaven-Tier Magical Artifact, Chun Xiaobai confronted Lin Yue aboard the Flying Boat. When Lin Yue accused him of molesting her and attacking Li Yue, Chun Xiaobai struck her in front of the Disciplinary Elders, leaving the confrontation poised to escalate.

• Chun Xiaobai pestered Lu Qingshan to show him his Heaven-Tier Magical Artifact, but Lu Qingshan shoved him out of the cabin.
• Chun Xiaobai spotted Lin Yue in the Flying Boat's main hall and ordered her to come over.
• Lin Yue sought protection from Li Yue, and Li Yue challenged Chun Xiaobai; Chun Xiaobai broke Li Yue's arm when he tried to attack.
• The Disciplinary Elders arrived, and Lin Yue accused Chun Xiaobai of molesting her and injuring Li Yue.
• Chun Xiaobai struck Lin Yue and sent her flying in front of the Disciplinary Elders.

Chun Xiaobai defended himself against Li Yue and Lin Yue’s accusations by arguing that he had acted in self-defense. After Lin Yue provoked him in front of the disciplinary elders, Chun Xiaobai struck her dantian with the Heaven-Sealing Finger and evaded the elders’ attacks.

• Chun Xiaobai told the disciplinary elders that Li Yue had attacked him first and that he had broken Li Yue’s arm to prevent further danger.
• Li Yue and his lackeys accused Chun Xiaobai of staging the fight out of jealousy over Lin Yue.
• Lin Yue pretended to be heartbroken and claimed Chun Xiaobai had hurt her because she rejected him.
• Chun Xiaobai slipped past the disciplinary elders and struck Lin Yue’s dantian with the Heaven-Sealing Finger.
• Chun Xiaobai evaded the elders’ attacks and claimed he had only been saying hello to Lin Yue.