Chapter Summaries

Half a month after Changqing failed to overcome his tribulation, Li Ping'an traveled with him and Old Ox while Run Tu grew lonely on Shushan and advanced his cultivation through contemplation. By winter, Li Ping'an had rowed a boat from Beyond the Pass into the lands within and was fishing on a snowy river.

• Changqing woke in a cave, accepted that he had failed his tribulation, and went with Li Ping'an and Old Ox to buy clothes, only to claim he had come seeking alms and anger the shopkeeper.
• After Li Ping'an left Shushan, Run Tu grew bored, took to fighting for amusement and cultivation, and was badly injured before the Turtle God Divine Doctor examined him.
• Run Tu waited for the Divine Doctor's medicine, spent several days contemplating the rain, and broke through a minor cultivation stage before setting off to work the fields.
• When winter arrived, Li Ping'an fished from a boat he had rowed from Beyond the Pass into the lands within, while Old Ox dozed beside him.

Li Ping'an took two scholars aboard his boat for a trip to Jiangdu Weir, while Monk Changqing continued recovering in the cabin. When Old Liu reacted with concern to the destination and tried to draw Li Ping'an aside, the reason for his warning remained unclear.

• Li Ping'an ran short of money, brought his boat to shore, and agreed to take Zhang Juhe and his companion to Jiangdu Weir.
• The scholars found Monk Changqing resting in the cabin, and Zhang Juhe worried about failing his examination.
• Li Ping'an made tea while his ox paddled the boat, astonishing the two scholars.
• Old Liu greeted Li Ping'an, reacted uneasily to the destination, and asked him to come aboard for the drunken crab.

Li Ping'an ignored warnings about the Spring Fish Gang and took Zhang Juhe and Geng Liancheng into Jiangdu Weir, where the gang’s supposed river god attacked their boat. As the scholars panicked, Li Ping'an calmly took out his Wine Gourd to negotiate with the water monster.

• Old Liu warned Li Ping'an that Jiangdu Weir belonged to the Spring Fish Gang, but Li Ping'an continued because he had already taken passengers.
• Li Ping'an shared Drunken Crab with Zhang Juhe and Geng Liancheng as Old Ox carried them swiftly toward Jiangdu Weir.
• Zhao San and the Spring Fish Gang stopped Li Ping'an’s boat, threatened him with a river god, and offered their boats for a fee.
• Li Ping'an refused the gang’s offer and entered Jiangdu Weir, where the current suddenly turned violent and a pale shape moved beneath the water.
• Li Ping'an reasoned that the Spring Fish Gang was using a water monster to threaten boatmen and took out his Wine Gourd to try to talk it into letting them go.

After water monsters capsized Li Ping'an’s boat, Zhang Juhe and Geng Liancheng woke safely on the riverbank with no memory of how they got there. Three months later, Li Ping'an and Monk Changqing arrived in Five Mausoleums, where they heard about the coming Demon-Slaying Assembly and its favored competitors.

• Li Ping'an hauled a water monster onto the boat, but a second monster emerged and snapped the boat in half, sending Zhang Juhe and Geng Liancheng into the river.
• Zhang Juhe and Geng Liancheng woke at Jiangdu Weir, dry and unharmed, and Zhang Juhe wondered whether the encounter had been a dream.
• Li Ping'an mourned his lost boat as he and Old Ox continued toward Five Mausoleums for the Demon-Slaying Assembly.
• Three months later, Li Ping'an and Monk Changqing entered a teahouse in Five Mausoleums and heard patrons discuss the assembly’s participants, prizes, and betting favorites.
• Li Ping'an reacted to hearing that Monk Changqing was the Buddhist Sect’s holy disciple, while Monk Changqing wondered whether it was time for a bath.

Li Ping'an watched cultivators and familiar faces gather outside Wuling Valley, including people whose paths he had helped shape. As more old companions arrived, he reflected on how much they had changed while he and Old Ox remained unnoticed in the crowd.

• Li Ping'an and Old Ox arrived at Wuling Valley, where hundreds of cultivators had gathered outside its Mountain Gate.
• Master Zhong led Huailu Academy's party, including Jing Yu, Zhao Ling'er, Aliya, and Pang Jun, while Changqing joined the monks accompanying Master Fahui.
• The old Celestial Master of Dragon-Tiger Mountain arrived with Qin Shi, and Yan Shisan and Yan Jingyang came with their family.
• Old Mo arrived with his disciple Wang Yi, who looked forward to reuniting with Zhao Ling'er, Aliya, and Pang Jun.
• Li Ping'an listened to the crowd discuss his familiar companions and reflected on how they had grown before quietly stroking Old Ox's head.

Wuling Valley began the Demon-Slaying Assembly with a Heart-Questioning Trial that tested the younger disciples’ character. Yun Shu answered honestly, Jing Yu flirted with the River God, and Li Ping'an and Old Ox turned the axe test into an escalating spectacle.

• Xiao Zhu welcomed the gathered juniors and led them through a narrow passage before the first trial.
• A Wuling Valley disciple announced the Heart-Questioning Bureau as elders watched images of the participants.
• Yun Shu rejected the golden and silver axes and chose the ordinary axe.
• Jing Yu tried to charm the River God, who threw all three axes at him.
• Li Ping'an and Old Ox repeatedly threw the River God back into the river, leaving the onlookers bewildered.

Li Ping'an and Old Ox left the Heart-Questioning Trial with a huge pile of Golden Axes, then the Demon-Slaying Assembly opened in Wuling Valley. After old friends reunited and the opening ceremony concluded, the first round of preliminaries was about to begin.

• Li Ping'an and Old Ox took a huge pile of Golden Axes, while Xiao Zhu tried to stop the tearful River God from leaving.
• The Heart-Questioning Trial participants emerged and discussed meeting the River God as Li Ping'an and Old Ox planned a feast.
• The Demon-Slaying Assembly began in Wuling Valley, where Wang Yi reunited with Aliya, Zhao Ling'er, and Pang Jun after more than ten years apart.
• Xiao Zhu hosted the opening ceremony as Li Ping'an and Old Ox ate and drank through the speeches.
• The assembly announced the rules for the first preliminary round, with more than six hundred young disciples divided into Groups A and B.

Li Ping'an watched the exchange tournament, where Jing Yu and Shushan’s teams won their matches. After the tournament, his many connections gathered around him, and a palace eunuch delivered the Emperor’s summons.

• Liu Hong defeated Ding Yan in a brutal match, and the Three Thousand Isles won after four contestants were seriously injured.
• Jing Yu swept through Huailu Academy’s match, defeating all three opponents while his teammates stayed off the arena.
• All six Shushan disciples in Teams A and B won their first-round matches and qualified for the second round.
• Jing Yu reunited with Li Ping'an and asked him about meeting junior sisters, but his fans quickly surrounded him.
• The old Celestial Master demanded repayment from Li Ping'an as Aliya, Changqing, and others arrived to see him.
• A palace eunuch asked Yun Shu to tell Li Ping'an that His Majesty requested his presence.

Li Ping'an reunited with old friends and acquaintances at a crowded gathering, where Old Ox's homemade Nine Provinces Kill eased the awkward atmosphere. The group played late into the night, with Liu Yun secretly holding the loyalist role when Li Ping'an became lord.

• Shushan disciples discussed how many influential friends Li Ping'an had and agreed that personal strength mattered most.
• Liu Yun, Changqing, and Li Ping'an's friends gathered together after several invitations and chance encounters brought them to the same room.
• Old Ox brought out Nine Provinces Kill, and the group played; Liu Yun failed to save Aliya despite secretly being a loyalist.
• Jing Yu puzzled over his complicated character skills, while the others read their own unusual skill descriptions.
• Li Ping'an became lord in a new round, Liu Yun smiled at her loyalist card, and the gathering continued amid laughter.

Li Ping'an woke his companions after their drunken night, then attended the second round of matches as a spectator. Elder Zhang saw the group leaving Li Ping'an’s room and drew increasingly wild conclusions, while Wang Yi and Ling'er prepared to compete as the Military School’s two-person team.

• Li Ping'an practiced the Turtle Breath Technique, returned to a trashed room, and woke his hungover companions with herbal tea.
• Aliya teased Liu Yun about her drunken declarations, and Li Ping'an enjoyed the lively scene as everyone tidied up.
• Elder Zhang went to check on Li Ping'an, saw Liu Yun and the others leaving his room, and fainted after misinterpreting what had happened.
• Li Ping'an watched the second round of matches from the stands with Old Ox and decided he preferred spectating to competing.
• The Military School successors Wang Yi and Ling'er were announced as the next team, despite having only two members.

Wang Yi swept Cloud Cliff Pavilion’s team in the competition, demonstrating that fighters at the same realm could still differ greatly in strength. After the third round, the injured contestants rested before the fourth, while Yun Shu prepared to study the Three Pure Ones Scripture Method and Li Ping'an planned to explore Wuling Valley with Old Ox.

• Li Ping'an and Old Ox tried to cheer Wang Yi on, but Old Ox’s roar drew attention from the crowd.
• Wang Yi defeated Liu Zong in one strike, then beat Cloud Cliff Pavilion’s other two disciples and explained that even at the same realm, some stood above others.
• Li Ping'an and Old Ox watched other matches, while Aliya and the others advanced to the third round.
• After the third round left many contestants injured, the competition paused for a few days before the fourth round.
• Yun Shu took Healing Pills and agreed to study the Three Pure Ones Scripture Method, while Li Ping'an invited Old Ox to explore Wuling Valley.

Qin Shi fought Huang Haoming of the Zhengwu Sect in the fourth round, overcoming his sword attacks and stamina to win the first bout. Though badly wounded and facing two more opponents alone, Qin Shi chose to continue, hoping victory would earn him more furniture.

• Jing Yu invited Li Ping'an on a trip to Wuling Valley and proposed drinking together before the fourth round began.
• Li Ping'an and Old Ox cheered for Qin Shi as he faced Huang Haoming, while the old Celestial Master urged them to shout louder.
• Qin Shi and Huang Haoming exchanged attacks, and Huang Haoming's Sword Qi left Qin Shi increasingly wounded.
• Huang Haoming began to tire as Qin Shi's momentum grew, and Qin Shi shattered Huang Haoming's magical treasure with a punch, sending him through two walls.
• The referee asked Qin Shi if he wanted to continue against the remaining Zhengwu Sect disciples, and Qin Shi said he had not won yet because his Master had promised him more furniture if he won the match.

After Qin Shi defeated three Zhengwu Sect disciples, Elder Gong confronted him and tried to retaliate, but Li Ping'an intervened. Li Ping'an fought Elder Gong, and the commotion drew a crowd that turned him into the center of attention.

• Qin Shi defeated three Zhengwu Sect disciples, leaving one badly injured, and rested in the underground casino while anticipating his reward.
• Elder Gong confronted Qin Shi and threatened to cripple him for injuring his disciple.
• Li Ping'an pinned Elder Gong down and urged him to calm down, but Elder Gong attacked with black palm force and the Nine-Character True Words Formation.
• Li Ping'an blocked Elder Gong's attacks, seized him by the throat, and slammed him into the ground.
• Another figure separated Li Ping'an and Elder Gong as Zhengwu Sect disciples and elders gathered, and Elder Gong accused Li Ping'an of ambushing him.

A dispute between Li Ping'an and Zhengwu Sect's Elder Gong drew Aliya, Jing Yu, and others into a shouting match that spiraled into a brawl. A full elder of the Zhengwu Sect finally stopped the fighting, but Old Ox secretly kicked one of their disciples again.

• Elder Zhang learned that Elder Gong of the Zhengwu Sect had clashed with Li Ping'an, and Dragon-Tiger Mountain's old Celestial Master hurried to find his injured disciple.
• Zhengwu Sect disciples confronted Li Ping'an and Qin Shi, while Aliya stepped in to defend them and Jing Yu traded insults with the crowd.
• Jing Yu's argument with the Zhengwu Sect disciples turned into a brawl, and Monk Changqing was caught in the middle as Shushan disciples arrived and were pulled into the chaos.
• Li Ping'an and Old Ox joined the fight, and Old Ox pulled a takeout bag over a Zhengwu Sect disciple's head before kicking him with the others.
• A full elder of the Zhengwu Sect silenced the crowd and rebuked his disciples, while Old Ox secretly kicked the bagged disciple once more.

Li Ping'an accepted his confinement at Shushan and said farewell to his friends, while Liu Yun warned him that Great Sui was preparing to wage war on Great Yu. Back at Heaven-Reaching Peak, he and Old Ox reunited with Run Tu and settled him down after he took up wearing clothes and reciting dramatic lines.

• The sects punished Elder Gong with confinement and a stipend cut, while Li Ping'an was sent back to Shushan for two and a half years and lost one year's stipend.
• Li Ping'an said goodbye to Qin Shi, the old Celestial Master, Aliya, and his other friends before flying back toward Shushan with Old Ox.
• Li Ping'an stopped to speak with Liu Yun, who warned that Great Sui would soon march north against Great Yu and urged him to avoid the coming turmoil.
• Half a month later, Li Ping'an returned to Heaven-Reaching Peak and found Run Tu dressed in blue robes and reciting dramatic lines.
• Li Ping'an and Old Ox stripped Run Tu of the borrowed clothes and punished him, then Run Tu listened eagerly to Old Ox's travel stories.

Li Ping'an spent years improving himself and developing spirit medicine while Shushan prepared for the turmoil ahead. Just as he set out to sell his first batch, Great Sui began its march north and Shushan sealed itself for war.

• Li Ping'an inspected Medicine Valley, established a steady five-year plan, and developed a Health-Preservation Art that he taught to Run Tu and Old Ox.
• Yun Shu and Liu Er Dog visited with news that Shushan was preparing for a coming war, then returned to seclusion with letters from Aliya and the others.
• Li Ping'an spent two years refining low-grade spirit medicine and studied how to price it before selling.
• A great bell announced the start of war, and Shushan locked down its peaks, recalled its disciples, and expanded the Mountain-Guarding Grand Formation.
• Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and Run Tu watched the sunset over bowls of noodles as Great Sui prepared to march north against Great Yu.

With Shushan locked down and war looming, Li Ping'an cultivated stolen Snow-Bone Ginseng while Run Tu and Old Ox prepared armor for the coming fighting. The chapter ended when Run Tu reported that Great Sui had begun its invasion of Great Yu under Empress Liu Yun.

• Li Ping'an stole Snow-Bone Ginseng from Qingfeng and prepared a carefully cultivated plot for it on Heaven-Reaching Peak.
• Li Ping'an, Run Tu, and Old Ox worked the land while Run Tu wondered whether Shushan would join the war between Great Sui and Great Yu.
• As Qingfeng returned from increasingly serious meetings, Run Tu forged armor and Old Ox joined him to make armor for himself.
• Li Ping'an read conflicting tabloid rumors about Great Sui's plans, while official newspapers reported nothing about the coming war.
• Run Tu rushed back with news that Great Sui had deployed three hundred thousand troops and that Empress Liu Yun was leading the campaign.

As Shushan prepared to aid Great Sui in the coming war, Li Ping'an learned that Senior Brother Ergou had been chosen for the first deployment and tried to steady himself by sharpening his blade. Three days later, Shushan announced the first group of disciples heading to the battlefield, though the chapter ended before the full deployment was clear.

• Li Ping'an sold his spirit medicines at the Marketplace with Old Ox and Run Tu, then heard rumors that Shushan would support Great Sui.
• Yun Shu emerged from seclusion and told Li Ping'an that Shushan was sending its first group of disciples to the battlefield and that Senior Brother Ergou was on the list.
• Li Ping'an returned to Heaven-Reaching Peak, calmed himself with the Heart-Calming Mantra, and sharpened his blade while making Old Ox a spiked pair of Iron Underpants.
• Three days later, the Deputy Sect Master announced the first group of disciples chosen to go to war, prompting excitement and confusion among the gathered disciples.

Shushan’s disciples marched north to fight Great Yu and the Demon Race, while Li Ping'an stayed behind to support the front by making healing medicines. He arrived at Bamboo Leaf Peak, where Liu Zongcheng began testing the disciples assigned to the Medicine Room.

• The first batch of Shushan disciples said farewell to their fellow disciples, and Liu Er Dog promised to return alive.
• Shushan’s leader ordered the disciples to march north and slay the demons, and the contingents departed on flying ships.
• Situ Lei told Li Ping'an that he wanted to remain in Shushan with his wife and children, and Li Ping'an said someone had to fight the war.
• Li Ping'an received an assignment to help Medicine Valley make medicines for the front lines and was sent to Bamboo Leaf Peak.
• Liu Zongcheng prepared to test the disciples who had come to the Medicine Room.

Li Ping'an spent the thirty-day Healing Medicine assessment avoiding his work, then used Bamboo Leaf Peak’s ingredients to experiment with poison. The chapter ended with him drinking nearly half a bottle of his first poison experiment and finding it delicious.

• Liu Zongcheng told the disciples they had thirty days to produce ten doses of Healing Medicine, and Li Ping'an tried to decide whether to alchemize by shaking dice.
• Li Ping'an spent several days eating and wandering around the Alchemical Workshop until Liu Zongcheng ordered him to return to his own Alchemy Room.
• Li Ping'an began blending ingredients and came up with a new idea using medicinal ingredients unavailable on Heaven-Reaching Peak.
• Li Ping'an prepared Experiment No. 1, a poison he hoped could help him survive on a battlefield.
• With Old Ox and Run Tu away, Li Ping'an decided to test the poison on himself and drank just under half the bottle.